FORMER Rangers chief executive Charles Green has backed Mike Ashley as the man to save the club in a bizarre interview from his hospital bed.

Mr Green, who allowed a TV crew to interview him shortly after he underwent a knee operation, defended his time at Ibrox and criticised fans' favourite Dave King before insisting he would love to return to the club.

The businessman also stressed that he has never been arrested by Police Scotland investigating the club, but has been questioned twice over former owner Craig Whyte's involvement.

Referring to rumours he had been arrested in France this week, Mr Green said: "It's really, really wrong. Obviously when I went to Rangers I had no idea what I was getting involved with, and no-one could have ever briefed you for this.

"It's things like today that make me think I should go back.

"The current team are doing a great job. Maybe the fans don't like them, maybe they don't like Mike Ashley. I don't like Mike Ashley, but it doesn't mean that he isn't the right man for the job. I actually think his team are the right people."

He described newly appointed chief executive Derek Llambias as a "good guy", adding: "The reality is that these people have done nothing but good, they haven't taken anything out of Rangers, they've put money in.

"Sandy Easdale is exactly the same. All Sandy Easdale has done is put his hand in his pocket, pulled money out and put it into the club. He hasn't taken anything out of it and the fans are slaughtering him.

"And then here we have Dave King. Sandy has one charge and one conviction against him. Dave King admitted to 40, to settle with the South African authorities.

"So we're going to swap Sandy Easdale who's put money in, Dave King who hasn't, where's that going go put things forward?

"The club is going backwards."

Mr Green took regular sips of water during the interview with Sky Sports News and looked emotional when he was asked if he had been arrested by police in relation to the acquisition of assets.

He said: "I have met with Police Scotland on two occasions where those questions were in connection with the previous ownership of the club, it was nothing to do with my running of the club.

"I raised £35m for that club when it was in a much worse position than it is today. I fought for Rangers."

Green said his salary at the club was £360,000 a year - half of what he would have received if Rangers had remained in the SPL.

He also claimed former manager Ally McCoist refused to reduce his salary when the team were relegated, so kept his full £760,000.

He said: "I reduced my salary to £360,000. I was paid six months' notice. My contract allowed me to have 12 months' notice.

"I was entitled to stock options, twice my salary, which was in my service contract, I never took them. So all this rubbish that Charles Green raped and pillaged that club is not true."

The businessman went on to deny he still holds shares in the club, saying he "wanted to cut the ties".

However, he added: "There are times when I think I shouldn't have left it, I should have stayed there."

Mr Green urged fans to take a step back before judging Ashley and the Easdale brothers, adding that they had done "nowt wrong".

The footage emerged as it was revealed Mr Ashley is cutting his stake in Sports Direct from 57.7 per cent to 55 per cent, worth around £2.5 billion.

Goldman Sachs confirmed it is selling up to 15.4m ordinary sales on behalf of Ashley, who founded the sports retailer, which would achieve £117m at Tuesday's closing price.