A FORMER Morton captain has been awarded almost £13,000 after an employment tribunal judge ruled he was unfairly dismissed from a previous role at Rangers.

Jim McAlister, who made more than 300 appearances for the Ton over two spells at Cappielow and retired from his playing career in Greenock in 2021, claimed the Ibrox side breached his contract after he took up a kitman position around three years ago.

Midfielder McAlister, 38, has won his legal battle with his old employers after leaving the Glasgow club and joining ex-boss Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia.

A decision published from a December employment tribunal hearing stated McAlister's 'claim of unfair dismissal is well founded and succeeds'.

Rangers, who were not represented at the hearing and did not file any defence, have been ordered to stump up £12,875.

The judgement, given by Judge Neil Buzzard, says: "The claimant’s claim of breach of contract by failing to give him notice of dismissal is well founded and succeeds.

"The respondent [Rangers FC] is found to have unreasonably failed to comply with the ACAS code of practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures 2015 and it is judged to be just and equitable to increase the compensatory award payable to the claimant by 25 per cent in accordance with s207A Trade Union & Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992."

McAlister, who had spells with Hamilton, Dundee and Blackpool in between his stints at Cappielow, has been awarded £1,572 as a result of the breach of contract, £8,728 from his unfair dismissal, and a further £2,575 - the additional 25 per cent referred to above - from the failure to comply with the code of practice.