PUBLICITY-SHY Rangers powerbroker Mike Ashley has held a rare meeting to discuss football...but it was with his Newcastle United caretaker manager John Carver.
The St James' Park owner is at the centre of the Rangers takeover battle - he owns a 8.92 per cent stake in the club as well as enjoying favourable retail deals with the Ibrox side.
But the Sports Direct billionaire has handed the Newcastle boss a vote of confidence after summoning Carver to a meeting.
Carver said: "His message to me is get on with the team and do as best you can
"He was pleased. We had a discussion, which was good. He's delighted with the way things are going.
"Without going into details - it was a private conversation - I did speak to him, and it was a nice conversation.
"He was pleased. He still feels like everybody else does - we needed to win that game. He understood what it meant. There was so much pressure - he felt the pressure himself.
"We all did. That's the type of people we are. We're winners - we want to win.
"To go down there and have a real nice positive conversation was great. I haven't had many conversations with him, because he's the owner and my job is the head coach.
"When you do have a conversation, and it's a nice conversation, it's pleasurable."
And Carver denied Newcastle fans' claims that he isn't interested in their club's fortunes.
He said: "Of course he is kicking every ball...you can see that.
"When he came to the football club, I saw that. When you get involved in football and you like football, you have this drive and enthusiasm and he has still got all that."
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