Laws retracts Hope claim

Scunthorpe boss Brian Laws insists he is not about to make a move for former club captain Chris Hope.

Hope’s future at current club Gillingham is uncertain – his contract expires in the summer and he has struggled with a calf injury.

Even fully-fit he may not be guaranteed a first team spot, and Gills boss Ronnie Jepson is on record as saying he wants to reduce his squad size in order to fund new signings.

Laws had been reported as saying he was keeping tabs on Hope, but has now distanced himself from the player.

He said: ‘I don’t know where that has come from. We haven’t made a move for him so there is nothing to report.

‘We need to thin the squad down before we bring in anybody else.’