STUART McCALL reckons Mark Warburton would be ‘absolutely crazy’ to leave Rangers for Fulham.

The Ibrox manager is currently the clear favourite to be the man to replace Kit Symons, with bookies pricing him at even money to be the new boss at Craven Cottage.

Warburton himself said earlier in the week he was flattered to be linked with the post while also talking about the work he still has to do with Rangers.

McCall was the man that took over at Rangers at the end of last season with the Gers failing to gain promotion after falling to a 6-1 aggregate defeat in the Premiership play-off to his old club Motherwell.

And he insists the man that ultimately took over from him at Ibrox should stay if the option to go to London presents itself.

“Unless it’s a top side in the Premiership, I think he’d be absolutely crazy to even contemplate it,” said the nine-in-a-row midfielder.

“As big a club as Fulham are, a London club and in the Championship, he’s working at Rangers now with between 40 and 50 thousand fans every week.

“There is now a feel good factor and he’s got almost a free hand. He’s gone on record to say anyone he’s wanted he’s managed to bring in.

“He’s also going to strengthen in January, he’s at one of the biggest clubs so he’d be crazy to think about it and I’m not suggesting he is even thinking about it.”

McCall added: “I now Mark is from England but I can only speak for myself and I wouldn’t give it one seconds’s consideration. He has a chance to build something at Rangers and finish what he has started.

“He’s aiming to get a promotion and the bottom line for any Rangers manager is to stop Celtic winning ten in a row. I spoke to Paul Lambert and he puts stopping Rangers winning ten in a row at the top of his list of achievements and he won the Champions League.

“He received more plaudits for that.”

McCall was at Hampden yesterday assisting in the draw for the fourth round of the William Hill Scottish Cup.

While currently not managing at club level, the former Motherwell boss is still part of Gordon Strachan’s coaching staff.

The national team boss is to get involved with coming up with a plan to improve Scottish football at a time where the game at grass roots level is being scrutinised more than ever before.

McCall appreciated the hard task faced by those seeking a resolution, but he acknowledges that a change in mentality in some youngsters is needed.

He said: “Sometimes I think my misses mollycoddles my lad who is 19 over in America on a scholarship. What chance do I have of getting him to toughen up?

“My sister hates me telling this story but I used to go to games and I’d burst my shinpads. My mum didn’t have a lot so I played with a maths book and English book down my socks in a school game.

“I went to give my homework in the next day and I got a telling off. I didn’t mind because we won 2-1 and I didn’t get a broken leg because someone smashed me on my maths book.”

McCall added: “For me, you can improve technically and physically. Mentally? You can’t give people desire. You have got to want it, you have to be hungry for it, it is has to mean something to you. You can’t be given everything too young.”