Rangers are not interested in Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe and he is not on a list of possible candidates who could replace Michael Beale.

The Ibrox club are hunting for a new manager after they sacked Beale on Sunday following a string of poor results both domestically and in Europe.

A number of names have already been touted for the Rangers job with Frank Lampard, Kevin Muscat and Pascal Jansen currently among the favourites.

Reports this morning also suggested that Lowe was also on the Govan club's radar, but Herald and Times Sport understands this is not the case.

Lowe was quizzed on interest from Rangers during his Preston press conference today.

He said: “I was aware of it this morning actually on the way in, my lad told me. Again, I don't do social media, I don't know. But, I think I've been linked with many jobs since I've been a manager.

"I think, when your team is doing well and you're doing well, you're obviously going to get linked. But, I am the Preston North End manager and it's a privilege to manage this football club, working with Peter Ridsdale and the Hemmings family.

"Whether it is true or it's not true, I don't know. But, as far as I'm concerned, this football club and the fans have stuck by me.

"We went through a tough time last season and you only have to look at what we are doing now.

“I think I will probably be one of 20 or 30 people to be linked with a fantastic opportunity to manage someone like Rangers Football Club.

"But, my sole importance is Preston North End and there will probably be another manager linked with it this afternoon, tomorrow and whenever. For us, it is just the work we are doing.

"We are just doing our job and ultimately, when you are doing a decent enough job you are always going to get linked with other clubs. I am probably just one of 25 or 30 names, so it's nothing to me. My sole focus is PNE."

Three defeats in seven Premiership matches left Rangers third in the league – behind St Mirren – and seven points adrift of city rivals Celtic before the axe fell on Beale.

A 7-3 aggregate defeat by PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League play-off round in August also helped heighten the pressure on Beale, whose summer rebuild has been widely criticised with a raft of new signings failing to have the desired impact.

Beale’s backroom team of Neil Banfield, Damian Matthew, Harry Watling and Jack Ade have also left the club.

Steven Davis, the long-serving former Rangers midfielder, has been placed in interim charge and will assisted be another couple of ex-Gers players in Alex Rae and Steven Smith, as well as coach Brian Gilmour and goalkeeping coach Colin Stewart for the time being.