PUBLICITY-SHY Rangers powerbroker Mike Ashley has held a rare meeting to discuss football...but it was with his Newcastle United caretaker manager John Carver.

The St James' Park owner is at the centre of the Rangers takeover battle - he owns a 8.92 per cent stake in the club as well as enjoying favourable retail deals with the Ibrox side.

But the Sports Direct billionaire has handed the Newcastle boss a vote of confidence after summoning Carver to a meeting.

Carver said: "His message to me is get on with the team and do as best you can

"He was pleased. We had a discussion, which was good. He's delighted with the way things are going.

"Without going into details - it was a private conversation - I did speak to him, and it was a nice conversation.

"He was pleased. He still feels like everybody else does - we needed to win that game. He understood what it meant. There was so much pressure - he felt the pressure himself.

"We all did. That's the type of people we are. We're winners - we want to win.

"To go down there and have a real nice positive conversation was great. I haven't had many conversations with him, because he's the owner and my job is the head coach.

"When you do have a conversation, and it's a nice conversation, it's pleasurable."

And Carver denied Newcastle fans' claims that he isn't interested in their club's fortunes.

He said: "Of course he is kicking every ball...you can see that.

"When he came to the football club, I saw that. When you get involved in football and you like football, you have this drive and enthusiasm and he has still got all that."