Blackburn captain Barry Ferguson has submitted a written transfer request as he looks to return to former club Rangers.

The Scottish international midfielder is anxious for a return to Glasgow after an unhappy 18 months at Ewood Park following his £6.5m transfer in the summer of 2003.

The Ibrox club have already seen a £3m offer rejected, but last week, Rangers manager Alex McLeish said he believed Ferguson could force Blackburn to sell him.

“All the managers are in the same boat these days. If a player digs his heels in it can become difficult because of undermining the squad morale,” he said on Friday.

“Also, you might not get the top performances out of the player that you would expect.

“Managers are definitely caught between a rock and a hard place these days in a situation like that.”