A TOP lawyer has urged a judge to throw out a bid by Charles Green to have Rangers pay his legal bills.

Advocate James Wolffe QC told Lord Doherty that Rangers should not have to foot its former Chief Executive's lawyers fees.

The businessman is currently facing criminal charges in the high court with regard to his alleged conduct during the time he was involved with the Glasgow side.

Mr Wolffe, the Dean of the Faculty of Advocates, told the Court of Session in Edinburgh that it would be unfair to expect his clients to meet Mr Green's costs.

The lawyer said that the alleged criminal conduct carried out by Mr Green started before he became the chief executive of Rangers.

This meant the club shouldn't have to pay Mr Green's legal bills as he wasn't acting for Rangers.

The silk was speaking during a debate at the Edinburgh court.

Much of what was said during Thursday's debate cannot be reported as the court imposed reporting restrictions on what could be written about.

Mr Green was not in present in court on Thursday.

Lawyers acting for 62-year-old executive told the court that the club agreed to pay any legal fees incurred by their client at the time he left them in April 2013.

Speaking about the deal, Mr Green's advocate Jonathan Brown told the court: "It is a commercially negotiated trade off in a basket of rights and obligations. 

"It was negotiated to allow a painless exit for Mr Green."

In an indictment issued earlier this year, prosecutors claim that Mr Green conspired with Craig Whyte, 44, David Whitehouse, 50 amd Paul Clark, 51, when Rangers were in administration.

It is alleged that the conspiracy was to take "de facto control and ownership of the business and assets of the club."

Crown lawyers also claim that they conspired to acquire Rangers for a "sum considerably below the market value."

It is alleged that the offences involving Mr Green took place between February 2012 and December 2013 at various locations in Scotland and Europe.

Mr Green, whose address was given in the legal document as care of a solicitors firm in Glasgow,  is expected to stand trial at the high court next year.

He has not entered a plea at this point in time.

On Thursday, Lord Doherty told the court that he would issue his judgement in the immediate future.

He added: "I am grateful to counsel for their submissions."