I knew Barry Ferguson was Rangers manager class 18 years ago – here's what I thought when I heard he'd got the job

The Spaniard only spent one season at Rangers but won a cup double and reached the 2008 UEFA Cup Final with Ferguson as skipper

Carlos Cuellar used to call him Walter Smith’s right hand at Ibrox.

That’s how important he believed Barry Ferguson was to the Rangers team.

On the pitch, during the Spaniard’s solitary 2007/08 season, he led the club to a domestic double and the UEFA Cup Final in Manchester.

Yet, if you ask Cuellar about Ferguson’s qualities, he was even more impressed by what he did for his team-mates OFF it.

The big centre-back enjoyed the best campaign of his career in Glasgow, with Smith as gaffer and Ferguson as captain. It was an incredible year for Scottish football, with both Old Firm clubs fighting to the death for a title and Rangers creating history in Europe.

Cuellar was a colossus for Smith’s side. Along with Allan McGregor in goal, Davie Weir beside him in defence and Ferguson in the middle of the park - they provided a solid spine.

With barely a word of English, it wasn’t easy for him arriving in Scotland from Osasuna for nearly £3 million.

In the space of 12 months, he would excel at Ibrox and earn a £9million move to Premier League side Aston Villa.

Cuellar will never forget Ferguson’s role in that - and ensuring he was immediately integrated into the Rangers squad. That’s why he’s now delighted to see his old team-mate impress as interim gaffer.

In an exclusive interview with Record Sport, Cuellar said: “When I read that Barry was to be in charge, I thought: ‘Rangers are now going to be very good’. Because as a player and captain, he organised us from the middle.

“On the pitch, he was the right hand of Walter. Davie was the same. Both of them understood what our team had to do and, also, what the other team would do.

“That helped the team a lot. So I was pleased when he got the job. Because he has so much passion for the club and knows Rangers so well.

“In terms of dedication to Rangers, with Barry I know he’ll give more than 100 percent. When you do that in your work, 99 times out of a 100 you’ll get success.

“For this period of time, in terms of what the team needs, I know he’s the right man. He’s perfect for this job.”

Thankfully for Cuellar, he had fellow Spaniard Nacho Novo at Ibrox to be his personal translator when he arrived at Ibrox.

For any foreigner, it can be difficult settling into life in Glasgow’s Old Firm goldfish bowl. But Cuellar - who is now in charge of Real Murcia’s B team - says Ferguson and others ensured the transition was as smooth as possible.

He said: “I tried to become one of them very quickly at Rangers. I learned the story of the club, how the players behave, and how to live in the country.

“Barry and the other players could see I was doing my best to be one of them. That’s why they tried to help me and took me inside the Scottish players’ group.

“Even when I didn’t understand the language, I felt like one of them and Barry played a big part in that.

“I remember the likes of Charlie Adam, Alan Hutton and Barry - they all took me in. They told me to talk as much as I could.

“Of course, they joked and laughed about my pronunciations - I know the Spanish accent sounds funny in Scotland. But they made me feel so comfortable at Rangers.

“When I was on my own at home and the Champions League was on TV, they’d call and tell me to go to their house to watch it and have dinner.

“One of the big successes for me at Rangers was my life outside of the training ground.

“Barry was one of the best captains I ever played under. Because he didn’t just help me on the pitch - he tried to make my life comfortable off it too.

“Coming from another country, that’s so important. You can experience some problems. But Barry would say to me that if I needed anything - he would speak to the club about it.

“He always looked out for the people around him because he knew that ultimately it would help us on the pitch. He understood how tough it was for me moving from Spain.

“Normally it takes a lot of time to adapt but Barry made it easier for me.”

Ferguson was renowned for the demands he put on team-mates and the standards he expected as skipper.

It’s early days in his stint as gaffer - but he appears to have the same approach now. Some players can’t handle that level of intensity at the Old Firm but Cuellar thrived on it.

Ahead of Ferguson and Rangers’ Europa League quarter-final clash with Athletic Bilbao in midweek, the Spaniard said: “Barry demanded a lot as our captain. He was a top professional who gave 100 percent every time.

“If you made a mistake, normally you’d maybe get criticised. But with Barry, as long as you made the mistake with 100 per cent desire and commitment - he would try to help you.

“He doesn’t like people who don’t give everything. But if you make a mistake while trying to do something for the benefit of the team, he’s right with you.

“Look at the team since he took over. You can see the organisation and tactical structure. Everything is about the team, not about individuals.

“In 2008, we had a great togetherness off the pitch at Rangers, which is unusual from what I’ve experienced at other teams.

“That was a surprise for me but it explains a lot of things. If you look at that Rangers team, player by player, we maybe weren’t as good as some of the teams we faced in the Champions League or UEFA Cup. But when we were together? We were like a rock.

“Individually, we weren’t a spectacular team. But just look at the teams we beat in Europe that season.

“Barry might not have managerial experience right now. But he has good people around him. And sometimes with a certain club, it’s about having that feeling in your heart.

“No-one knows or understands Rangers better than Barry.”