Eck: My Villa exit wounds

Alex McLeish will never forget the night Villarreal killed off Rangers’ hopes of reaching a Champions League quarter- final – because it also signalled the end of his Ibrox reign.

The Scotland boss led Gers to the last 16 back in 2006 where they’d meet a Juan Roman Riquelme-inspired Spanish outfit.

After a 2-2 draw in the first leg at Ibrox, Rangers led at El Madrigal before being pegged back to 1-1 and losing on away goals.

McLeish was proud of their achievement even though he was out of work a few months later when Paul Le Guen took over.

Ahead of Thursday night’s rematch between the clubs in the Europa League, he said: “Everyone wrote us off after the first leg at Ibrox. It was all or nothing for us in V ill ar real nothing for us in V ill ar real. Peter Lovenkrands got us off to a flyer and at 1-1 the ball flashed across the goal for Kris Boyd to score.

“Normally Boydy would have scored it but he just didn’t connect right. It was a fantastic performance over two games from the guys. We were so close to the last eight.

“However, even when we qualified there was stuff about my job being on the line. By the time the game came around I announced that I would leave Ibrox that summer.

“David Murray and I had agreed. I told him I’d go before Villarreal but he said no. He wanted me to lead the team out in the last 16. And from then until the end of the season we went on a really good run.

“It’s now Villarreal again for Rangers this week and that will be a tough game.

“They have been playing at the top in Spain for a long time and this is a new Rangers team.”