POLISH international midfield man Dariusz Adamczuk has become a Rangers player, finally ending ping-pong speculation in the last
couple of months that had him at first an Ibrox capture, then a Celtic signing, and, in the end, a Rangers player.
The Dundee man has been the subject of much confusion as his
contract with the Dens Park club neared its conclusion, but he has been able to cause some confusion of his own by attributed utterances that seemed to swing from one side to the other.
In his latest yesterday, he said: ''It was easy for me to decide that Rangers gave me the best option of playing for a really big club.'' That will ensure a warm reception if he is in the Ibrox side that turns out at Parkhead in the new season.
The Polish international midfielder has signed a four-year Ibrox deal after an earlier proposed switch to Celtic ended with the Parkhead chief executive, Allan MacDonald, calling a halt to negotiations saying that he felt that there was no need to go on
discussing terms for a ''squad player''. The rift at Parkhead is understood to have developed over the length of contract wanted by Adamczuk.
In contrast, when the Rangers move, which was ahead of the Celtic interest, was being mooted, he was reportedly unhappy with the prospect of no guarantee of first-team football.
Now Adamczuk, who had at one stage said that Celtic would be the team he would like to join, insists that choosing to go to Rangers was an ''easy'' decision as he feels they dominate Scottish football. He also claimed that he had been obliged to discuss a future at Celtic by Dundee, rather than actively seek a transfer to Parkhead, and made a barely disguised reference to MacDonald's comments: ''Although I had to
co-operate in talks with Celtic at the end of May, as Dundee had agreed transfer terms, it was always my intention to see out my contract with Dundee to achieve freedom-of-contract under the Bosman rules.
''Once I had that freedom, it was easy for me to decide that Rangers gave me the best option of playing for a really big club, with the potential for competing in the Champions' Cup as well as winning domestic medals. Some people are writing me off as a squad player there to make up numbers, but they said that about Rod Wallace last year as well.
''I know that Rangers have a large squad of international-class players and that no-one has any guarantee of regular first-team starts, but I'm confident that I can grasp the opportunity to
compete for a regular place.''
Rangers manager Dick Advocaat, who is expected to use the Pole in a primarily defensive role, has watched the player closely and expects him to make a significant contribution next term. Advocaat said: ''He has broad experience, which will be invaluable through the long campaign which faces us.''
There was no change on the glorious variety of stories
involving possible Celtic signings, although Slovan Bratislava's Jozef Majoros apparently waits on tenterhooks for a call.
Dr Jozef Venglos has recommended his #800,000-rated
countryman to management team Kenny Dalglish and John Barnes and the 29-year-old Slovan
player had a meeting with Celtic officials last week to discuss the financial side of a three-year deal. Slovan are anxious for an answer, as the cash would offer a massive boost to their flagging finances.
Still on Celtic, West Ham United manager Harry Redknapp last night angrily denied claims that he will let Eyal Berkovic join the Parkhead club in exchange for #4m and Australian striker Mark Viduka. This, it should be said immediately, is not a deal that Celtic have claimed to have suggested, either.
Redknapp insisted that he has only spoken briefly to Celtic director of football Kenny Dalglish about Berkovic's availability on the telephone and he restated his desire to keep the Israeli midfielder at Upton Park next season. He said: ''I don't know why people are saying we've demanded #4m and Viduka. That's complete nonsense. The clubs haven't discussed anything about the matter.
''Kenny Dalglish tried to get Eyal at Newcastle and has told me he likes him, but everybody likes him. You can't help but like him if you like football.
''Liverpool were also interested in him at one point, but they've now signed the Czech boy, Smicer. While he's a good player, he isn't better than Eyal, who is absolutely world-class. We've not been in contact with Celtic and that's the honest truth. I don't want to sell Eyal Berkovic.''
qRangers chairman David Murray last night admitted that the club are still interested in Sheffield United's England Under-21 internationalist, Curtis Woodhouse, but suggested that the English first division club's fee hike from #2m to #3.5m has cooled their interest in the midfield man.
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