Mellon will be a fruitful choice

Linfield clash a rare spark for French gaffer

IT started with a giant smacker on the head and ended up only six months later with an even bigger kiss off.

He may have been more accustomed to Bordeaux and Biarritz, but the greeting for

Paul Le Guen’s first game in charge of Rangers was pure Belfast.

Linfield manager David

Jeffrey stepped towards his Gallic counterpart in the opposition dugout at Windsor Park and planted a welcome, never to be forgotten kiss straight between his eyes.

Jeffrey (inset) said: “I’m a tactile guy and the welcome was genuine, a case of, ‘It’s lovely to have you here’. Given his French background, I thought it an appropriate greeting.

“Paul was as follically challenged as me, which is why I went for a kiss on the forehead. I don’t imagine many managers in Scotland greeted him in the same way in the months afterwards.

“Let’s just say he was a little .... surprised. But I stress, I wasn’t trying to be a smart a***. It was respectful and welcoming.”

The appointment of Le Guen was hailed as a bold and imaginative coup and even had Rangers chairman David Murray hailing it at the time as “a massive moonbeam of success.”

All went to plan in his opening game – a comfortable 2-0 win over the Irish League champions – courtesy of goals from Thomas Buffel and Kris Boyd.

But it would not last and Le Guen had left the club by mutual consent by January 4 when his side were languishing fourth in the table, 17 points behind Celtic.

Jeffrey, now boss of Ballymena, looked on from afar with dismay.

He said: “Paul arrived at Rangers with a fantastic pedigree and we all believed the club were welcoming Arsene Wenger, mark II.

“I don’t believe there would have been anyone more disappointed than Paul. With greater insight and knowledge of the rivalries – especially with Celtic – I’m sure he would have got it.”

THE BLUES BOTHERS Paul Mcareavey is challenged by Gavin Rae in Linfield’s 2-0 loss to Gers back in 2006 Paul le Guen lasted less than a season at Rangers TOP CV MICKY MELLON launched Jamie Vardy into the big time and he can get Dundee United back competing at the top level again. That is the view of ex-motherwell midfielder Steve Jennings, who played alongside Mellon and coached under him at Tranmere. Jennings said: “He will be a good appointment. He is a top manager and is 100 per cent committed. “He has five promotions and was also the one who signed Vardy at Fleetwood so when you look at Micky’s CV it is not bad.” MOTHERWELL have launched a bid to sign striker Callum Lang on a permanent basis from Wigan Athletic. The Steelmen have now made a cash offer and are waiting to see if it will be enough to get the green light from the Championship side’s administrators. Lang (inset) is keen on a move to Fir Park, with the lure of Europa League football to come. He spent last season on loan at Shrewsbury Town in League One and has had similar spells with Morecambe and Oldham Athletic. Well manager Stephen Robinson sees Lang as the final piece of major transfer business this summer. He has already brought six new signings including Jake Hastie on loan from Rangers. PROJECT

Micky Mellon & Steve Jennings

Alex Dyer and Chris Burke