McCullagh still keen on Gers move
Lee McCulloch has told new Wigan boss Chris Hutchings he still has his heart set on a move to Rangers.
The midfielder, 29, saw a dream switch to the Ibrox club fall through back in January when former Latics manager Paul Jewell refused to sanction a return north of the border.
Rangers are believed to have offered around £750,000 for the Scotland international and the bid was written off as derisory by Jewell.
The transfer window swung shut without any movement and McCulloch turned his focus to helping Wigan remain in the Barclays Premiership instead, an aim they achieved in their final game of the season.
However, McCulloch is still determined to win a move to his boyhood heroes regardless of Wigan retaining their top-flight status and he is hoping Gers boss Walter Smith will rekindle his interest in the coming weeks.
McCulloch said: “I’ve had a meeting with the new Wigan manager, it wasn’t a long meeting, but I expressed my opinion to him.
“I’ll keep what was said to myself just now and I’ll just wait and see what happens. The manager knows what I want to do.”
Hutchings took over from Jewell in the wake of Wigan’s final day victory at Sheffield United and McCulloch still has no idea if the new man will be more willing to cut him loose than Jewell was.
He added: “I don’t know, you would have to ask him that.
“I just had a chat with him, he was only five minutes in the job and it wasn’t really fair on him.
“We’ll just have to see where it takes us.”
McCulloch – who is contracted to the Latics until 2009 – admits the opportunity to rekindle his relationship with Smith would be a big part of the appeal of joining Rangers.
The player earned seven of his ten Scotland caps under Smith and would love to join forces with his former national team boss once again.
“Walter Smith is a fantastic manager and he has the record to prove it,” said McCulloch.
“Everybody knows the size of Rangers, it sells itself really.”
If he does make the switch to Rangers this summer, McCulloch admits it will still be a wrench to walk away from a club who gave him the opportunity to test himself against the best in the business.
But the midfielder reckons he can leave with his head held high, knowing he had a part to play in their survival after his previous attempts to leave in January were blocked.
“I put in my transfer request and then, to be honest, I just had to knuckle down,” said McCulloch.
“I felt I did that and we managed to avoid relegation so I think I did well.
“If I had to leave the club, it would be a sad day for me.
“I’ve been there for six years and had some fantastic games and experiences during those six years.”
