James Penrice says he wants to be a Rangers player for the next five years, but admits the decision on his permanent Ibrox move is out of his hands.
The 27-year-old is currently on loan from Greek side AEK Athens until the end of the season. Record Sport revealed last month that Rangers have until next summer to trigger a buy option clause for the full-back at a cut-price fee of just £800,000.
Loan Star's Desire to Stay
It seems certain that Rangers manager Derek McInnes will sanction the permanent move for Penrice. The former Hearts man has become a fans' favourite at Ibrox and is now one of the leaders in McInnes' dressing-room as the club mounts a Premiership title challenge.
Penrice was also pivotal in their two recent Old Firm victories over Celtic in the league and Premier Sports Cup.
Future Out of His Hands
Penrice knows his future is not his to decide right now. The defender, who has also played in midfield for McInnes, says he sees himself being at the club for the long term.
In an exclusive interview with Record Sport, Penrice said: "If you're asking me if I see myself staying here, I'd say probably, aye. If I had the choice, I'd stay. But ultimately, it won't be up to me. There's an option in the deal and everything has been well documented.
"For me, I'd love to sign it. But there are logistics and reasons why it might happen or might not happen. Those things have to be dealt with in the future and it will be up to my agent and the club to come to an agreement. We'll see what happens. But if you're asking me right now - I'd love to be here for the next four or five years and be a Rangers player. I'd love to settle here."
