Ex-England star Stewart Downing has revealed he snubbed the potential chance to join Rangers this summer - as he wouldn't have been guaranteed game time.

The former Aston Villa winger played alongside Steven Gerrard with the Three Lions and against him as they clashed numerous times in the English Premier League.

Having left Middlesbrough earlier this year, 35-year-old Downing was on the lookout for a new club.

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He explained that he did have a conversation with Gers gaffer Gerrard over a potential switch to Scottish football.

However the player knew Gerrard was eyeing up other recruits and that minutes on the pitch would be limited.

So he opted to join Tony Mowbray at Blackburn Rovers.

Speaking to Teesside Live on the Rangers speculation, Downing said: "That was another option. I know Steven so I spoke to him but he had a few players already in the pipeline and I need to play games.

"He already had a big squad at Rangers – would I have played as many games as I would have liked to? I don't know.

"At Blackburn I will be involved a lot more and that was the main decision to go there."