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Cuellar, Smith and McGeady scoop SPL yearly awards

15/04/2008

Rangers defender Carlos Cuellar has won the Scottish Premier League player of the season award, with his manager Walter Smith taking the manager's prize.

Cuellar, in his first season in Scotland following his £2.4 million move from Osasuna last summer, has impressed at the heart of the Gers defence.

With the third-best defensive record in Scotland - behind only rivals Celtic and runaway leaders of the third division East Fife - Rangers have relied heavily on Cuellar in their pursuit of four trophies this season.

This success - which sees the Ibrox outfit top of the domestic league, in the semi-finals of the Uefa Cup and the Scottish Cup and having already secured the CIS Insurance Cup title - has also reflected well on Smith.

The former Scotland international manager returned to Rangers last year following a successful spell with the national side.

And his arrival has sparked an upturn in the team's fortunes as they remain in control of their own destiny in the SPL, four points clear of Celtic with two games in hand.

Preventing a clean sweep of the awards at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery in Glasgow was Celtic youngster Aiden McGeady, who took the young player of the year prize.