Rangers defender Madjid Bougherra has insisted that he is not looking to leave the Ibrox outfit during the January transfer window. Bougherra's future has been thrown into doubt after a series of disciplinary breaches provoked the ire of manager Walter Smith and unimpressed his colleagues and Gers supporters.

"You can never swear to anything in football because everything can change, but I do not intend to leave Rangers," he told the Evening Times.

"I feel good at this club, I have always said I like stability and I intend to finish the season here.

"The year has ended well for me with the qualification for the World Cup and hopefully the season will end well with Rangers winning the title again."

Bougherra has also attempted to explain his latest late return from international duty, claiming that a theft had delayed his arrival at the airport, before a text message from Ally McCoist informed him he would not be playing that weekend.

"I did everything to return on Friday night, but it was not possible due to a theft problem," he added. "In Paris, there is only one daily flight to Glasgow and I had not arrived in time to take it Friday.

"There was no intention on my part to arrive late. The last thing I would be is disrespectful to the fans.

"On the Friday, I received a text message from the assistant coach to inform me that I would not be playing on Saturday.

"On the basis of this message I was not too worried because even if I returned that day, I was not in the plans of the manager. So I was back in Glasgow on Saturday morning, the day of the match and I went to training the next day."