HAD Carlos Cuellar pursued his first sporting love, the only prospect of him making an appearance at the City of Manchester Stadium would have been for a track and field meeting.
The Rangers defender's consistent excellence, which will see him formally crowned as Scotland's Player of the Year on Sunday night, has been arguably the most significant factor in his club's progress to next week's Uefa Cup final.
The 26-year-ol
d Spaniard is now savouring the conclusion to a dream debut season with the Ibrox club which has given him the last laugh over those who told him he was making a big mistake in quitting Osasuna to move to Glasgow last summer.
It also fully justifies his decision to forsake a promising career in athletics as a teenager to concentrate on football.
"I used to be a 1500 metre runner," said Cuellar yesterday. "I won a lot of trophies and I had the possibility to become a serious athlete for Spain. I was around 16 or 17 at the time, but I preferred to play football. That was always my dream.
"Now I have the kind of moment I always dreamed of. Since we reached the Uefa Cup final, I have had more dreams about it and I will tell you how the dream ends after the game next week."
Cuellar reached the semi-finals of the Uefa Cup last season, helping eliminate Rangers en route, but his former club are now embroiled in a desperate battle against relegation from the Primera Liga.
"When I told people I was moving to Rangers last year, they said I was crazy," added Cuellar. "I was leaving what is maybe the best league in the world to go to Scotland. They kept asking me why I was leaving.
"But with Rangers I have the chance to play in the Champions League, I have the possibility to win the domestic title and now I could win the Uefa Cup. In Spain, I would only have those possibilities if I played for Real Madrid or Barcelona.
"Ever since I joined Rangers, it has been a good fit for me. The care and appreciation they have shown me right from the start has made me want to give them something back.
"When I played in Spain, the supporters always appreciated me, but nothing compared to what has happened to me here with the Rangers fans. I hear them singing songs about me and it is very, very special."
Cuellar is deeply contented with his life in Scotland, speaking warmly of the people and the culture. He is not a party animal, revealing his ideal form of relaxation as a trip to Starbucks in Glasgow city centre for a coffee, and appears as laid-back off the pitch as he is intensely focused on it.
While homesickness has not been a problem, however, Cuellar revealed he does miss one special friend who has had to remain in Spain. "I have a pet boa constrictor," he said. "He's called Titan. I love snakes, they are beautiful. He couldn't come with me to Glasgow, though, because of the regulations."
Cuellar attributes the ease with which he has adapted to Scottish football to the significant influence of his central defensive partner David Weir who celebrates his 38th birthday tomorrow. "Not only is David a great player, he is a great person and I have a very good relationship with him on and off the field," said Cuellar. "He is amazing and can play on for another two or three years more."
The full article contains 607 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
