Buffel "gone to" Brugge, Smith on the transfer window

[Wreckedroy 33]

I'm another who wanted Buffel to play a bigger role last season, and would have been happy to see him playing next season. But it's patently obvious Walter didn't see a future for him here so it's better he leaves than have him sitting in the reserves on 17k a week. I hope he does well for Cercle Bruges.

[Danny 9]

Nobody is going to be willing to pay a fee for a player who suffered a serious knee injury less than two years ago, has effectively been frozen out for a season, has a year left on his current deal and earns 17k a week.

How would we react if we were going to pay a million pound for a player with a similar story?

I liked Buffel, but truth be told, the time for him to move on has come.

All the best Thomas

It wasn't time - it was forced on him.

Que sera sera.

C'est la vie.

But I will follow his career in Belgium when I can.

[Danny 9]

I'm another who wanted Buffel to play a bigger role last season, and would have been happy to see him playing next season. But it's patently obvious Walter didn't see a future for him here so it's better he leaves than have him sitting in the reserves on 17k a week. I hope he does well for Cercle Bruges.

He will, and I hope he gets his big move next summer to a decent sized club.

Sure, they finished 4th last year which was better than normal, but a player of his quality deserves a bigger stage. I hope he gets his place back in the national side now.

[Boab 73]

Attacking midfielder Thomas Buffel has left Rangers FC for KSV Cercle Brugge in his native Belgium signing a two-year deal.

Cercle game

The 27-year-old, who has scored six goals in 29 internationals for Belgium, moves to Bruges for an undisclosed fee, eager for a fresh start after injury hampered him in recent seasons at Ibrox. Knee surgery reduced Buffel to just one league appearance last season, to take his overall total to eleven goals in 62 league games since joining the club from Feyenoord midway through the 2004/05 season. He had been on Cercle's books before joining Feyenoord in 2002. "I was here until I was 16," he said. "Then I spent years abroad. Because of my knee operation I have had a difficult year, but being back home and given Cercle's ambition, I am on the right track to re-launching my career." Cercle finished fourth in Belgium in 2007/08.

Uefa pick it up http://www.uefa.com/footballeurope/news/ki...alleurope/index