Weir one of my best ever, says Smith
WALTER SMITH reckons that Davie Weir was the best pound-for-pound signing he ever made as Rangers manager – because he cost the club nothing.
The legendary manager returned to Ibrox in January 2007 after stepping down from his role as Scotland manager for what would prove to be a successful second stint at the club, winning three titles, three League Cups and two Scottish Cups, as well as leading his side to the 2008 UEFA Cup final.
Upon his arrival in Govan, Smith made improving the Rangers defence an immediate priority. Weir was earmarked as a short-term fix but went on to become anything but, racking up 162 appearances before retiring in the summer of 2012.
It is this longevity that so impressed Smith during his time as Rangers manager – and that left him in no doubt as to who is best-ever value-formoney signing was.
Speaking to the club’s website, Smith said: “I’ve been asked a few times in interviews to name the player I felt was my best signing as Rangers manager but it’s a tough question to answer because a lot of the players I brought to Ibrox went on to enjoy a great level of success at the club.
“If, however, you were to ask me for my best pound-forpound signing that is slightly easier because it would have to be Davie Weir who came to us for nothing. We didn’t even pay a pound for him!
“At the start of my second spell as manager in January 2007 the first thing I wanted to do was bring in an experienced figure in defence and looking back now I couldn’t have gone for anyone better than Davie.
“Initially, he only signed for six months because he was 36 but we ended up offering him another year and then another year. It went on like that and aside from his wages he didn’t cost us anything. In his five years at Ibrox he was outstanding both in the way he performed on the pitch and the way he conducted himself off it.
“In terms of pound-for-pound signings Rangers have made you will struggle to beat Davie and that’s all down the desire he had to be successful at the club.”
There are no shortage of players to have progressed through the youth ranks at Ibrox and gone on to have fine careers in the game. The likes of Steven Naismith, Allan McGregor and Norwich midfielder Kenny McLean are just some to have been in the Ibrox club’s youth academy at one time or another, but Smith says that there are two players that stand out in particular for him.
“Looking at the Rangers team now and in the last couple of years, it’s great to see a few young players forcing the first team but once they get that opportunity they then have to show they are good enough to be Rangers players and that’s the real challenge,” he said.
“During my tenure as Rangers manager, the best young player I saw progressing from the youth ranks to the senior side was Barry Ferguson. Barry made his firstteam debut in the final game of the nine-in-a-row season at Tynecastle and then he went on to make nine appearances the following year in 1997/98 before Dick Advocaat took over.
“Another young player who had a fantastic start to his career at Rangers was Charlie Miller. People forget Charlie played in the Rangers team when he was 17 and by 20 he was playing in cup finals alongside Brian Laudrup, Paul Gascoigne and others.”