New Rangers midfielder Lee McCulloch has revealed he “tried to kick up a fuss” in January in a failed bid to force Wigan Athletic to let him move to Ibrox.
The Scotland international had to wait six months for the transfer to go through, with Rangers trebling their initial offer to agree a £2.25 million fee with the Barclays Premier League side.
But McCulloch was was delighted to sign a four-year contract yesterday with the club he supported as a boy. “I’m delighted to come to such a massive club - a club with ambition and a club with tradition. I’m here to play for the badge.
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“It really is brilliant and undoubtedly one of the best days of my life. My dad used to take me to Ibrox to watch the great standard of football and now I have the chance to play in front of the best fans in Europe in my opinion.”
Walter Smith, the Rangers manager, made the signing of McCulloch a priority when he replaced Paul Le Guen in early January, having worked with the 29-year-old former Motherwell player during his time as Scotland manager.
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McCulloch is delighted to be reunited with Smith, as well as with Rangers legend Ally McCoist, who had a part-time role as coach to the Scotland strikers. “Walter Smith and Ally McCoist were great with me during their period with Scotland and the fact they wanted to bring me here was fantastic,” McCulloch said.
McCulloch has become Rangers’ eighth permanent signing of a busy summer, following deals for Kirk Broadfoot, Alan Gow, Graeme Smith, DaMarcus Beasley, Jean-Claude Darcheville, Carlos Cuellar and Roy Carroll.
Defender Andy Webster has also extended his loan from Wigan until January, and there is likely to be at least one more arrival before the Champions League qualifier against Zeta or FBK Kaunas on July 31, possibly Kilmarnock striker Steven Naismith if talks can be revived.
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The initial £750,000 offer from Rangers for McCulloch at the start of the year was described as “derisory” by Paul Jewell, who resigned as Wigan boss in May to be replaced by Chris Hutchings.
Hutchings yesterday snapped up Jason Koumas from West Brom for £5.3million, paving the way for McCulloch’s deal to go through.