When Walter Smith signed David Weir in the January of 2007, little did he know that he would be at the heart of a Rangers defence that would keep clean sheets at both Barcelona and Man Utd.
Arriving as a fresh-faced 37-year old, more than a few eyebrows were raised when the legendary gaffer paired his former Everton centre-half with Ugo Ehiogu to rebuild a team that had fallen apart under Paul Le Guen.
Under Smith, David Weir won multiple league and cup winners’ medals as well as being pivotal in the UEFA Cup final run of 2007/08, before leaving Rangers, he became the joint oldest player in the Champions League….until this week.
David Weir loses Rangers Champions League record
Weir shared the record at 40 years and 211 days old along with another defensive stalwart, Italian football great Alessandro Costacurta, a player who seemed to play across three different generations.
Goalkeepers make up the overall top five with our very own Allan McGregor coming in at number five after last season’s Champions League shambles.
There is a new outfield record holder though and it will be a name familiar to Rangers fans from this generation and those who remember Alex McLeish’s run to the knockout stages of Europe’s showpiece tournament.
Playing for Porto against Royal Antwerp, the indefatigable Pepe became the oldest outfield Champions League player at the tender age of 40 years and 242 days.
Francesco Totti is the oldest goalscorer at 38 years and 58 days, Paulo Maldini is the oldest winner and the oldest goalscorer in a final.
There’s a lot to be said for the Italian lifestyle.
David Weir maybe didn’t quite have the same level of success as some of these names but he did keep clean sheets against Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho.
Not bad for an old man who was past it and signed on a free transfer.
