Negri Remains A Nagging Regret

Feb 24 2008 By Gordon Waddell

WALTER SMITH doesn't have many regrets to show for his 60 years - but admits his biggest was not having Marco Negri to carry Rangers through to 10 in a row.

The Italian stallion smashed 32 goals in his first five months in Scottish football as the nine-time champions chased that historic 10th.

But a freak eye injury sustained in a squash game with Sergio Porrini put the brakes on Negri (right) - and left his Ibrox boss bemused.

Smith's ageing team lost the title to Wim Jansen's Celtic and as he looks back on his first seven-year stint that earned 14 trophies, he still has that "What if?" at the back of his mind.

He said: "I signed Lorenzo Amoruso for that last season as well but he only managed half a dozen games. If he and Negri had stayed fit you never know what would have happened.

"Negri's the one I have most regrets about though - I still don't know why he lost form. He was fantastic for six months, had scored 32 goals by January then got hit in the eye by a squash ball and was out for six weeks.

"I never quite got to the bottom of what happened after that. He faded away and even when he went back to Italy he was never the same."

Smith was part of the biggest revolution to hit Scottish football as Rangers took the transfer market to a new level in the 80s and 90s.

Here he looks back for MailSport at his biggest success stories - and disappointments.

THEGREATS - ANDYGORAM: "One of my first signings and one of my best. Some people found Ibrox hard to handle but he thrived on it.

"It says it all about his consistency that I can only remember three mistakes he made during his seven years at the club."

STUART McCALL: "People may be surprised at this choice as a great of that era - but he was. I couldn't believe his appetite for football and he had the talent to match his enthusiasm."

BRIAN LAUDRUP: "Sensational, just what we needed. He lifted the team single-handedly at times. Mind you in training Brian was only as good as he wanted to be and chose his days."

THEREGRETS - SEB ROZENTAL: "Similar to Negri. He scored in his first game against St Johnstone then got a bad knee injury. After that his career never took off. We felt we were getting a great player and I wish we'd seen it."

JONAS THERN: "A fantastic player and even though he was troubled by a knee injury we still signed him because I was a big admirer.

"He had everything - passing, hardness and ability to get a goal - and if we'd had him fit for that last year I think he would have taken up the mantle for us."