• Four Tottenham players in squad for Under-19 tournament
• Manager rejects claims that he refused to release them to FA

Harry Redknapp has rejected claims that Tottenham Hotspur have banned four of their teenagers from playing for England in an Under-19 tournament in France next week.

Spurs were understood to have queried the need for the Football Association to take Steven Caulker, Andros Townsend, Ryan Mason and Dean Parrett to the event but the manager said: “I had a word with the chairman and the kids were released. It’s a great honour to play for your country and we wouldn’t want to stop them from playing. It’s important, whatever age group, whatever level, it’s something you strive for.

“I have never stopped anyone from playing for their country wherever they are from. I always encourage that and this is no different. If they need the kids we will get it sorted out.”

The players were part of a squad that trained at University of Warwick and they are scheduled for departure to Normandy on 15 July. The tournament begins three days later and England’s group involves Austria, Holland and France with the top pair joining two from Italy, Spain, Portugal and Croatia in the semi-finals.

Sir Dave Richards, the chairman of Club England, wrote to all clubs last month pointing out that they wanted “to prioritise player release in the Under-19s outside the competitive part of the season”.

A fortnight ago, the FA’s director of football development, Sir Trevor Brooking, said that “tournament experience would be fantastic”, although he feared there were “three or four at clubs who want to take them on pre-season trips”.

Blackburn Rovers’ Phil Jones and Aston Villa’s Nathan Delfouneso are also wanted by the FA for the tournament. The pair would miss over two weeks of their club’s pre-season preparations if they travelled with England.

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• ‘He is absolutely part of our future plans,’ says manager
• Australian striker McDonald could be on his way out

Celtic have reacted furiously to the ­suggestion that they will attempt to sell the influential midfielder Scott Brown in the current transfer window. A report this morning claimed that Brown had been told by Tony Mowbray in a ­meeting shortly before Christmas that he had no future at the club. The £4.5m signing from Hibernian, who is close to a return from an ankle injury, has been linked with Tottenham Hotspur.

“The story is absolute nonsense,” Mowbray, the Celtic manager, said. “I never told Scott Brown that I want him to leave the club. Scott is a huge player for Celtic and absolutely part of the future plans of this club. It’s disappointing that people are able to write things which are so inaccurate.”

Brown, who also played under ­Mowbray at Hibernian, said: “Obviously I am very disappointed with this article as there is no foundation to it. I have worked with the manager for some time and have a very good relationship with him.”

Celtic, who say they are ­considering legal action over the report, said in a ­statement that they would not allow ­”outside interference” to disrupt their attempts to reclaim the Scottish Premier League title from Rangers.

The Norwegian teenager Thomas Rogne has joined Celtic on a three and a half-year contract, from Stabaek. ­Mowbray is keen to sign at least three more players this month with Scott McDonald, the striker who has failed to command a starting place this season, likely to leave Parkhead.

Another player who could be leaving Glasgow is Rangers’ Pedro Mendes. The former Portsmouth midfielder is wanted by Sporting Lisbon and he could be willing to take a cut in his £25,000-a-week salary in order for the move to his native Portugal to happen.

Transfer windowCelticRangersScottish Premier LeagueTottenham HotspurStabaekSporting LisbonEwan Murrayguardian.co.uk