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Defender Rangers sold to Aston Villa for £7.8m to retire after next season

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Carlos Cuellar has announced his plans to retire from football at the end of next season.
The 37-year-old centre-back played for Rangers between 2007 and 2008 and was a big hit at Ibrox.
In his short time with the club, he won the Scottish Cup, League Cup, and a UEFA Cup runners up medal.

Cuellar celebrates with Ally McCoist after winning the Scottish Cup. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

At 6ft 3″ he offered a commanding physical presence and was rock solid at the back. He demonstrated an eye for goal during his time in Scotland, too.
He scored five times in a whopping 65 appearances during his single season with the Gers and was involved in one of the greatest ever European nights at Ibrox.

In the summer of 2008, he moved to Aston Villa for massive £7.8m [The Guardian] after the Premier League side activated a release clause in his contract.
The Spaniard spent 2008-2012 at Aston Villa. (Photo by Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images)

He went on to turn out for Sunderland, Norwich, and Almeria before moving to Israel in 2016. His most recent of four clubs there was Beni Yehuda.
However, via his Twitter account, he announced his intention to find a new club and play for one more season before hanging up his boots.

“It’s time for me to leave this wonderful orange shirt, enjoy what I’ve lived and decide my future,” he said. “I feel healthy, strong and motivated to remain as a player for one more season. Especially, to confront new challenges, which right now is the main engine of my career.”

It will be interesting to see where this both extremely likeable and capable defender ends up for his swansong season in professional football.