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Flo goes north Norwegian striker joins Rangers for US$17m
Updated: Thursday November 23, 2000 11:41 AM
GLASGOW (Reuters) -- Norwegian international striker Tore Andre Flo completed his 12 million pounds (US$17 million) move to Rangers on Thursday and ended a five-year pursuit by the Glasgow club's manager Dick Advocaat. The deal doubles the previous Scottish record of six million pounds (US$8.5m) paid by Celtic, also to Chelsea, earlier this year. Advocaat said at the press conference to parade his new signing that he has been trying to catch up with Flo ever since the player was an unknown at SK Brann. "He destroyed my old club PSV Eindhoven on his own and knocked us out of the UEFA Cup," explained Advocaat. "And I have been watching him ever since." Flo, 27, has signed a four-and-a-half year contract and Advocaat recalled: "I tried to get him to PSV the year Ronaldo left (to join Barcelona) but he was going to Chelsea. "I tried many times when he was with Chelsea. I spoke to his agent when Flo was with Norway during Euro 2000 but he was committed to Chelsea. "I watched with interest the Chelsea line-up every week and for me it was good when he was not in the team. Now that he is finally coming to Rangers, it is great." Advocaat admitted that Flo -- who will make his debut for Rangers on Sunday in the derby against Celtic, which leads its Old Firm rivals by 15 points -- is an expensive signing. "It is a lot of money," said the Dutch coach. "Maybe too much for one player but that is the price we have to pay for a player of his quality and these are the market prices." Flo admitted it had been a wrench to leave Chelsea where he had spent four seasons, but had grown increasingly frustrated by his limited role in coming off the bench to turn games. "I like Chelsea very much and it is a great club but unfortunately for me I didn't play enough and I had to do something about it," he said. "This chance has come up and what makes it easier to move is that Rangers is a very big club and hopefully I can win some things here." Flo is ineligible for Rangers' UEFA Cup campaign, which merely heightens the pressure on him to deliver at domestic level and prevent the Scottish title falling into Celtic's hands. "There will be a lot of pressure on me," he said. "I will probably be more nervous on Sunday than I normally am but I am looking forward to it." Flo joined Chelsea from SK Brann in Norway for a bargain 300,000 pounds (US$422,000) in August 1997 and scored 47 goals in 162 appearances -- many as a substitute. He has scored 22 goals for Norway in 52 internationals.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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