Carlos eyed English deal for months

Aug 17 2008 By Gavin Berry

RANGERS boss Walter Smith believes Carlos Cuellar's head was being turned towards the Premiership for MONTHS.

The Spaniard's departure from Ibrox to Aston Villa seemed like a sudden move but Smith is adamant Cuellar was aware of interest from the end of last season.

His performances in helping the Light Blues reach the UEFA Cup Final thrust the former Osasuna stopper into the limelight.

And asked if he could tell it was in Cuellar's mind to leave when the player returned in the summer Smith said:

"There's no doubt about that. The approach didn't come two days before he left. That situation had been going on since the end of last season.

"He had an outstanding campaign for us and getting to the UEFA Cup Final brought him to the notice of a number of people.

"It didn't surprise me.

I'm disappointed but we were always aware this situation could occur."

Improve Smith (below) has already started to splash the Cuellar cash with Spanish kid Aaron Niguez arriving on loan from Valencia while Pedro Mendes has been signed from Portsmouth and last season's loan ace Steve Davis is back on a permanent deal.

The Ibrox boss admitted all signings for the middle of the park are made with the return of Barry Ferguson in mind.

He said: "When I'm signing midfielders we have to look at Barry coming back.

"We had to look at the midfield and say that, while we had a really good work ethic and attitude from everyone last season, we had to improve football-wise.

"That's what we had to do more than anything else and we're still trying."

Ibrox skipper Ferguson is continuing to recuperate from his ankle operation and Smith says he's on course to return in a couple of months.

He said: "Barry has three weeks left with the protective boot around his ankle that he can take off now and again.

"The initial indications are there is no problem, it will just be the time to heal.

"After another three weeks in the boot he can start his rehab.

"That will take about six weeks so you are looking at a couple of months in total yet.

"He will tell you differently but that's what the specialist says is the kind of timescale we are looking at."

Gers head to Pittodrie a week today to take on Aberdeen with the pain of losing the title there on the final day of last season still lingering.

But Smith said: "I don't think there's an extra edge because of what happened.

Going there at the end of the season was a big game for everyone.

" When we go to Aberdeen it's always an important match, there's no doubt they raise their game against Rangers and it has always been tough up there.

"It is a difficult place to win but hope fully we will be in far better heart than we were a week or 10 days ago."