THE MEDAL DETECTOR

UGO EHIOGU spent yesterday afternoon house hunting in Glasgow - tomorrow he hopes to set about glory hunting instead.

At 34, this man mountain of a defender has already entered into the veteran stages of a career which has not delivered all that it really ought to have done.

Tipped for stardom as a teenager and billed as a future rock of England's international team, Ehiogu has long since given up hope of adding to his four international caps.

The player cut all ties with Middlesbrough yesterday morning, leaving the Riverside on a free transfer seven years after becoming the club's record signing in an £8million deal with Aston Villa.

But Ehiogu refuses to believe that he's reached the end of the road. In fact, he suspects he is about to start out on the greatest and most rewarding adventure of his professional career.

Ehiogu has been catapulted from an ill-fated loan spell in the English Championship with Leeds straight into the heart of the latest revolution at Rangers.

Just when it appeared as if he was destined to go out with a whimper, Ehiogu is back with a bang.

And he is burning up inside with desire to make the most of this unexpected opportunity.

He interrupted his whirlwind tour of the city's property market yesterday to tell Record Sport: "The truth is I just can't wait to get started.

"It's nice to get all the formalities out of the way and I can now really look forward to life in a Rangers shirt.

"I think it's fair to say this has come right out of the blue. When I first heard about it I couldn't believe it.

"It was something I had not really considered. I suppose when you are playing football down south it's a case of out of sight, out of mind.

"But when I heard there was interest from Rangers I knew right away it was something I wanted to find out more about.

"I wasn't resigned to dropping down the divisions in England. I had spent a couple of months at Leeds but I knew that wasn't the right club for me for a number of reasons. I was fortunate enough to be in a position where I wasn't being pushed into making a decision or rushed into joining the wrong club.

"But when I heard that Rangers wanted to speak to me then obviously I wasn't going to hang around. I could never have expected something like this to come up."

Ehiogu arrived in Glasgow on Monday to rubber stamp his 18- month contract with new manager Walter Smith and also train with his new team-mates for the first time.

But he had to return to Teeside on Tuesday to iron out the final details of his severance package and clear the way for his free transfer north.

By lunchtime yesterday the i's were dotted and Ehiogu wasted no time in attempting to find a new home in order to help himsettle as quickly as possible into his new life. "It is a new life for me," he admitted as he contemplated the size of the challenge which he has just agreed to take on.

"I can see already that I have joined ahuge club. In fact, I already had quite a lot of knowledge about Rangers because the physio at Middlesbrough -Grant Downie - used to work at Ibrox.

"All he used to talk about was what a massive club Rangers are so it hasn't come as a surprise to me to see that he's right.

"When you go to the ground and see the place for yourself you realise immediately just what you are getting involved in. The club is steeped in so much history it's quite incredible.

"It feels nice to be a part of something like that and hopefully I'm going to be a successful part of it."

To date Ehiogu has secured just two winners' medals - both from League Cups. The first came with Villa in 1996 and eight barren years passed by before he led Boro to the same trophy in 2004.

It is a scant return for a man who would once have expected to have his entire career lined with silver.

And yet, perhaps tellingly, Ehiogu's crowning moment as a Boro player came in that final against Bolton when he inspired Steve McClaren's side to victory in Cardiff.

Even now McClaren's successor at the Riverside, Gareth Southgate, believes that match showcased the strength of Ehiogu's desire to make himself a winner.

Moments after completing the deals which saw both Ehiogu and Ray Parlour leave the club as free agents yesterday Southgate said: "I wish them both well.

"They are both great lads who brought us immense experience and professionalism.

"I have known and played alongside Ugo, both at Aston Villa and Boro, for many years and have the utmost respect for him.

"He was a key player for us but I think he will be best remembered for his part in helping us win the Carling Cup because he was outstanding in the final.

"Unfortunately, I was no longer in a position to give them regular firstteam football, so their release gives them both a chance to move on, while it gives us a chance to continue the development of our younger players."

Ehiogu, it seems, has not entered into this lightly. He is well versed on the trials and tribulations which preceded both his arrival and that of the management team which made him apriority target.

And it is his intention to help Smith and Ally McCoist haul Rangers out of the crisis which has engulfed the club for much of the last 18 months.

He said: "You get the feeling that the club is on the way up again. It's something you feel from just being around the place.

"The training is quite high-tempo and the emphasis seems to be on putting a few smiles on faces again.

"The players have obviously come through a difficult time over the last few months but there is a feeling that we are now ready to start competing again for the top spot. That's where this club belongs."

UGO FACTFILE

1972: Born November 3, London.

1989: Signs for West Brom.

1991: Joins Aston Villa for £40,000.

1996: March 24 - Wins League Cup with Villa who beat Leeds 3-0. May 23 - Makes England debut in 3-0 win against China but not included in Euro 96 squad.

1999: January - Fractures eye socket in accidental clash with Newcastle's Alan Shearer and misses almost three months of the season.

2000: May - Reveals plans to quit Villa. August - Man City fail with two bids, the second of which is believed to be over £6million.

November 20 - Joins Middlesbrough for £8m and signs five-year contract.

2001: January - Banned for four games following second red card since joining Boro. Second indiscretion saw him punch Wimbledon's Mark Williams, who said: "I've never been hit so hard." February 28 - Recalled by England and scores in 3-0 win over Spain. August 15 - Plays as sub in England's 2-0 defeat to Holland.

2002: Mar 27 - Wins fourth England cap in 2-1 defeat to Italy. Has not played for his country since.

2003: Jan 1 - Suffers two fractured ribs and a punctured lung in match at Blackburn after colliding with Rovers keeper Brad Friedel. Spends week in hospital. August - Misses start of the 2003/04 season due to a knee injury.

2004: February 29 Plays as Boro beat Bolton 2-1 in League Cup final. April 16 - Extends contract until end of 2006/07 season.

2005: January - Having been out of action since October Ehiogu has injured knee put in a brace and misses a further three months of season.

2006: January - A proposed transfer to West Brom falls through.

May 10 - Unused sub as Boro lose 4-0 to Sevilla in the UEFA Cup Final.

November 23 - Joins Leeds on a twomonth loan having not played for Boro in early months of 2006/07 season.

January 1 - Returns to Middlesbrough.

January 22 - Agrees to join Rangers and passes a medical.

January 25 - Joins Rangers on 18-month contract, having secured release from Boro.

Taken from the Daily Record