Everton sign up their #4.3m loan star Ferguson now in good shape to face Greeks

Walter Smith will be delighted to offload their very own manchild.

The striker was nearing the end of a three-month loan period at

Goodison Park where he quickly won over the hearts and minds of

Everton's fans, even though he has scored only two goals.

It didn't take long for Joe Royle, who succeeded Mike Walker as

manager during Ferguson's loan period, to be convinced either, and he

started to make noises about keeping the player on Merseyside.

Rangers, who paid Dundee United #3.5m for the player in July last

year, may have been ecstatic at the prospect of recouping their money

for someone who often appeared to be more of a bother than an asset, but

they played it coy.

Smith insisted Ferguson was not for sale, but he must have known all

along that Everton's need was great as they struggled at the foot of the

Premiership. The Rangers manager was determined to get as much as

possible for Ferguson and last night's agreement proves he is as capable

as his predecessor, Graeme Souness, when it comes to generating a profit

in the market.

It is believed Everton were paying a fee in the region of #125,000 a

month to Rangers for the use of Ferguson, and by the time the Ibrox

accountants have finished tapping their calculators, it will be found

that the English side have more than covered the cost of his salary

during his short time in Glasgow.

The deal, which will be completed today, leaves Ferguson free to meet

up with the Scottish international squad in a positive state of mind,

which will win him a starting place in the European Championship

qualifying tie against Greece in Athens on Sunday.

The national team coach, Craig Brown, who will gather his chosen ones

around him this afternoon was afraid transfer speculation would erode

Ferguson's concentration, but he should be much more settled now Everton

have made their move.

''I now expect Duncan will be able to concentrate only on our business

and that means he is even closer to starting against the Greeks than he

was before the transfer,'' Brown said. ''It stands to reason that he

will be much better prepared.''

Ironically, Ferguson was brought into the squad because of injuries to

Aberdeen's Scott Booth and Eoin Jess, and the chances are that Smith

might be willing to spend some of his new found wealth buying one of

these strikers. But his main target may be IFK Gothenburg's Jesper

Blomqvist.

Last night's deal will disappoint at least five other English clubs

who had been expressing interest in the striker since his loan period.

However, none of these clubs were encouraged because they were either

unwilling to meet Smith's valuation, or trying to buy Ferguson with

money and player swaps.

Everton had to be seen to be doing something positive because of their

precarious league position and Royle and his board of directors believe

Ferguson to be the saviour.

His move from Glasgow to Liverpool is another remarkable twist in the

colourful and controversial saga which is Ferguson's career. Having now

been involved in two transfer deals which total #7.8m, there is no doubt

at all he is a player who attracts attention.

The strength of this young man's appeal becomes even more astonishing

when it is considered Everton have paid out a substantial fee for

someone who could yet be suspended for 12 games by the SFA. Also, he has

still to keep a date in court early next year because of the alleged

head-butting incident which caused football's authorities to throw the

book at him.

Regardless of where Ferguson is when his appeal against the ban is

heard he will have to do time in the stand because of FIFA regulations

which state that one association's punishment on a player must be upheld

by that of another member country.

Ferguson, also found himself in trouble with the police in Merseyside

recently when he was suspected of having been driving while under the

influence of alcohol.

So far he has been one of those individuals who seem to attract as

much unwanted publicity as good, and to be perfectly frank, Rangers'

management should be glad to see the back of him.

They may well have secured some kind of agreement from Everton which

would allow Rangers first refusal should he become available for

transfer in the future, but Ferguson is unlikely to return and haunt

Smith or Murray. The way Everton are performing means they won't qualify

for European competition and that is the only competitive arena in which

Rangers could meet the striker again.

Everton found themselves in a position which demanded action and

rather than fret that they were buying an unpredictable lot they

probably considered that they couldn't afford to let him return to Ibrox

where in time he was supposed to fill the boots of Mark Hateley.

The idea was to fit Ferguson into the team gradually and spell Hateley

in the process, but because of injuries no one at Ibrox saw the best of

the younger man. He played only a handful of matches, but again became

an instant hit with many of the supporters, who perhaps relate to his

fallibility.

The fans are used to seeing their heroes at a distance or through the

windows of fancy cars, but Ferguson is different. He demonstrated that

he was as prone to human weakness as the rest of us, and maybe that was

why so many liked him.

However, so far as Rangers are concerned he is history, just another

of the many who pass through the Ibrox portals, and the money brought in

by his departure will speed the arrival of other hopefuls. Of course,

with his team beginning to stetch their lead at the top of the premier

division, Smith might feel confident enough to take his time and perhaps

even wait until the close season.

He is about to enjoy the benefit of having Ally McCoist back in peak

condition, Mark Hateley, who has just had a precautionary plaster

removed from a foot, should be ready to play in the Boxing Day game

against Hibernian, and Gordon Durie is also back.

Others like Ian Ferguson, John Brown, and Craig Moore are ready to

push for their first team places back and Alexei Mikhailichenko and

Trevor Steven are making decent progress to full fitness.

Soon a full complement and millions to spend. It all begins to look

good again for Rangers.