Blackburn Rovers chief Ray Harford has run the rule over Preston North End's exciting young winger Kevin Kilbane.

But Deepdale boss Gary Peters today issued a stern "hands-off" warning as transfer rumours also linked Kilbane with a £1m move to Leicester City.

Harford watched the teenage winger help North End to a 2-1 Second Division win over Crewe Alexandra on Tuesday.

And Alex prospect Gareth Whalley could be another player high on Harford's hit-list as he bids to increase his squad options.

Today Peters warned: "As soon as anybody asks about the lad I tell them straight, he's not for sale. I've not had any bids."

Preston rate the winger so highly they recently signed him up on a five-year deal. That would keep him at Deepdale until 2001.

But that has not stopped a host of Premiership scouts - including Rovers - flocking to Deepdale to see Kilbane in action.

The 19-year-old Preston-born lad burst onto the scene last season as North End clinched the Third Division championship in style.

A product of the Deepdale youth scheme, Kilbane made his Preston debut at Torquay in October 1995.

The Preston youngster then went on to lift a championship medal. Now Rovers are keeping an eagle eye on Kilbane's progress. The winger is expected to play in tonight's SKY TV match live game at Plymouth Argyle.

Harford is also believed to keen on Whalley, rated in the £2 million pound bracket by Crewe manager Dario Gradi.

And it is not the first time Rovers have had the Crewe midfielder watched.

Former Director of Football Kenny Dalglish ran the rule over Whalley several times last season. An impeccable Gresty Road source admitted today: "Blackburn are still very interested."

Meanwhile, Scotland will give defender Colin Hendry another 24 hours to prove his fitness for Saturday's World Cup opener against Austria in Vienna.

Craig Brown leads his side into the new campaign with a question mark still against the Blackburn centre-half's participation.

A scan on Hendry's groin has revealed no major damage, but Brown will wait until tomorrow before deciding if he will play in the Ernst Happel Stadium. "The scan does not show up any major problem but Colin is still suffering some pain," said Brown before the squad left Glasgow today.

"He managed to do some light training with us this morning. We will give him another session in Vienna tomorrow then leave it until Saturday before making the decision. "It would obviously mean a change in personnel if Colin doesn't make it and we won't risk him unless he's absolutely right. We've alternatives in mind but we'll give him as long as we can." Hendry, one of the stars of Scotland's Euro 96 squad, said: "The scan has given me the all-clear but we'll have to see how I feel after some more training. It troubled me after the first couple of games of the season."

Former Blackburn Rovers midfielder Robbie Slater was expected to link up with Graeme Souness at Southampton today in a £250,000 deal.

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