Velicka 'mystery' solved?

[Ibroxblue 122]

A tried and trusted Scottish Premier League predator with Hearts, Andrius Velicka’s knack of scoring against Celtic helped him catch the eye of Rangers manager Walter Smith.

But the lesser-spotted Lithuanian has gone from high-profile signing to forgotten man in the space of four short months since his surprise £1million unveiling at Ibrox in the summer, following a brief spell in Norway with Viking Stavanger.

The 29-year-old made his Rangers bow from the substitutes’ bench in both legs of the embarrassing Champions League qualifying stage elimination at the hands of his former club, FBK Kaunas, missing a fine chance to salvage the club’s European dream in the disastrous return leg in Lithuania.

Velicka’s first full match for the Ibrox club, however, saw him score the winner away to Falkirk in August and the future looked bright.

Mysteriously, though, his only other start, or indeed appearance, for Rangers came the following week against his old club Hearts.

Almost overnight, and despite the departure of target man Daniel Cousin, the burly 29-year-old slipped right down the lengthy pecking order behind strikers Kris Boyd, Kenny Miller, Kyle Lafferty, Jean-Claude Darcheville and Nacho Novo.

Of late, he has been restricted to a handful of reserve outings and was last spotted being substituted midway through the second half of Lithuania’s World Cup Group Seven qualifier last month, a 1-0 win over the Faroe Islands.

Just last week, the player was quoted in the Rangers News insisting he will bide his time as he attempts to win back his first-team place at Ibrox.

So far, so mysterious. But, ahead of Rangers’ trip to face his old club Hearts at Tynecastle tomorrow, Sportsmail has learned of claims that Velicka’s absence has, in fact, been down to burn-out.

According to high-up sources in his homeland, the player is said to be suffering the effects of exhaustion, the result of almost two solid years of non-stop football.

Concerned about the player’s condition, top figures within the Lithuanian FA sought talks with Rangers to clarify Velicka’s situation and received satisfactory answers.

Now the powerful striker is expected to kick-start his Ibrox career around the turn of the year, when he returns to aid the club’s tilt at stopping Celtic’s endeavours to win four titles in a row.

‘We actually spoke with Rangers to discuss the matter of Andrius Velicka,’

FA president Liutauras Varanavicius told Sportsmail. ‘We know that there is an understanding at Rangers that Andrius needs rest and he will not start back for the first team until around the New Year.

‘After his move from Hearts to Norway, it meant he had been playing football for 20 months — for Kaunas, Hearts, Viking Stavanger and also the Lithuanian national team — without having a proper break. No footballer would be able to handle that kind of schedule.’

Velicka initially signed for Rangers in June but, as part of the deal, it was agreed that he would return to Norway to play another three matches before joining his new team-mates the following month.

Despite his slow start at the Glasgow giants, Varanavicius insists his player is loving life at Rangers under Smith.

‘Andrius is happy at how he is being treated by Rangers,’ he said. ‘He is liking the club very much and he says he has good relationships with his team-mates, the manager and the coaching staff.

‘He is enjoying it at Rangers and is looking forward to getting back into the team. In my opinion, there are good working relationships there.

‘I last saw Andrius play against the Faroes last month for Lithuania. He looked OK but was still in need of a rest. He is also in need of practice because he has missed so many games and is not match-sharp. But he will be back soon and we are delighted because we want him for Lithuania’s important World Cup qualifier against France in March.’

Velicka finished top scorer for Hearts with 14 goals last season, despite leaving for Norway in February. How the Tynecastle throng must currently yearn for a striker of similar potency.

Under Csaba Laszlo, Hearts are riding high in the league, sitting third from top, but underlying that lofty position is the stark statistic that their top-scoring striker is two-goal Christian Nade, while midfielders Bruno Aguiar and Michael Stewart, the club’s designated penalty taker, lead the way with three apiece.

Hearts are down to the bare bones following training-ground injuries this week to Jamie Mole and Mike Tullberg, as they look to build on four consecutive SPL victories for the first time since George Burley’s reign three years ago.

And, ahead of tomorrow’s showdown, Varanavicius, a senior official of Vladimir Romanov’s Ukio Bankas and a former Hearts director, believes the success at Tynecastle this term is built upon a strong relationship between manager and owner.

‘The relationship between the coach and the owner is a good relationship and cannot be underestimated,’ he said.

‘I cannot claim to know Csaba very well, but I saw him and Mr Romanov together

recently and they look relaxed in each other’s company. They get on very well and there seems to be a nice continuity at Hearts these days.’

For Velicka, however, the time for relaxation is almost over as he looks forward to forging his own relationship with his team-mates in the Rangers first team.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...x.html?ITO=1490

[Scott-RFC 308]

Why can someone at Ibrox not come out and say this?

[radlord 24]

So what are Lithuania doing fucking playing him against the Faroes if they're so worried he's burnt out?

[rfc_no1fan 13]

Burnout?

Why is he training with the rest of the squad and playing reserve games then?

[jimmckinlay 0]

Who's he gonna replace in the first team 11

[Muff 245]

In 2006/07 he played 30 games and he found himself on the bench quite a bit.

In 2007/08 he played the exact same games and was also a sub on a number of occassions.

His last match for Hearts was at the start of February 2008. He didn't make his Viking debut until the 6th April and only made 16 appearances, a good few of of them as a sub.

All these appearances include internationals and domestic cup games - 78 games in 2 and a half years.

Burnout my arse. He's simply not good enough.

The likes of Steven Davis, Davie Weir, Kirk Broadfoot, Xavi, Fernando Torres, Puyol, players who have played in better leagues, Champions League, domestic cups and the European Championships have played more games than Velicka has.

[MosesMcNeil 1,664]

he had been playing football for 20 months — for Kaunas, Hearts, Viking Stavanger and also the Lithuanian national team — without having a proper break. No footballer would be able to handle that kind of schedule.’

What a load of utter shite. Footballers greetin about being tired when on huge salaries for kicking a ball about a park absolutely do my nut in.

[slimjim1690 4,534]

Now if it was stress injuries I might be persueded, but burnout, fuck off and gie me piece

[FlippinEck 3,708]

he had been playing football for 20 months — for Kaunas, Hearts, Viking Stavanger and also the Lithuanian national team — without having a proper break. No footballer would be able to handle that kind of schedule.’

What a load of utter shite. Footballers greetin about being tired when on huge salaries for kicking a ball about a park absolutely do my nut in.

Where was velicka "greetin" ??

[RangersJamie52 0]

I would like to see him brought in against Hearts but obviously this wont happen anymore!

[docspiderman 1,230]

I thought the topic was about why we paid £1 million for such a immobile mediocre player.

[Unionloyal 0]

I would like to see him brought in against Hearts but obviously this wont happen anymore!

Hearts would like to see him brought on too

[Unionloyal 0]

I thought the topic was about why we paid £1 million for such a immobile mediocre player.

Can you imagine the reaction if it was Eck who paid that

Smith is a law to himself with Murray

[MosesMcNeil 1,664]

he had been playing football for 20 months — for Kaunas, Hearts, Viking Stavanger and also the Lithuanian national team — without having a proper break. No footballer would be able to handle that kind of schedule.’

What a load of utter shite. Footballers greetin about being tired when on huge salaries for kicking a ball about a park absolutely do my nut in.

Where was velicka "greetin" ??

If you're going to get pedantic about a general point - where did I mention Velicka?

[Blue Stars Bearette 1]

jury is still out on Velicka for me as we haven't seen him much. You never know how things can turn out for a player

[reddrock 107]

So what are Lithuania doing fucking playing him against the Faroes if they're so worried he's burnt out?

Exactly and if its rest he needs why the feck is smith letting him go on international duty surely if its burn out any doctor would confirm this .

But I also think there is more to it as no one at the club as issued any statement backing this

[TMWWBK 0]

He played less than half the amount of games the majority of our players did from January to June this year.

There was no mystery in the first place. He never was and never will be anywhere near good enough and he wont get near the first team squad for as long as he continues to look slower than Davie Weir.

A calamitous buy.

[FlippinEck 3,708]

he had been playing football for 20 months — for Kaunas, Hearts, Viking Stavanger and also the Lithuanian national team — without having a proper break. No footballer would be able to handle that kind of schedule.’

What a load of utter shite. Footballers greetin about being tired when on huge salaries for kicking a ball about a park absolutely do my nut in.

Where was velicka "greetin" ??

If you're going to get pedantic about a general point - where did I mention Velicka?

Noting pedantic about it, The only thing Velicka has come out and said recently is that he wants to fight for his place in the team, and he is willing to bide his time to do so, if was he greeting about not being played, like beasley perhaps hinted at the other week there, then fine, but I think most will get the general point that you were talking about velicka, when your first statement tells us what you think of the article itself.

[kingbarry 2]

hes pish and fat. And not good enough for Rangers.

[MosesMcNeil 1,664]

he had been playing football for 20 months — for Kaunas, Hearts, Viking Stavanger and also the Lithuanian national team — without having a proper break. No footballer would be able to handle that kind of schedule.’

What a load of utter shite. Footballers greetin about being tired when on huge salaries for kicking a ball about a park absolutely do my nut in.

Where was velicka "greetin" ??

If you're going to get pedantic about a general point - where did I mention Velicka?

Noting pedantic about it, The only thing Velicka has come out and said recently is that he wants to fight for his place in the team, and he is willing to bide his time to do so, if was he greeting about not being played, like beasley perhaps hinted at the other week there, then fine, but I think most will get the general point that you were talking about velicka, when your first statement tells us what you think of the article itself.

You think agents talk only independently of their client and their wishes? All sorts of quotes get attributed to agents - I'm struggling to recall the last time a player came out after a controversy involving his agent being quoted where the player has effectively said: "My agent is talking shite. He's sacked."

[EastEnclosureBear 2,926]

Who's he gonna replace in the first team 11

Exactly Mate

[trueblue87 0]

Burnout?

Why is he training with the rest of the squad and playing reserve games then?

Good question. If he really had a serious burnout he'd be in hospital actually. Burnout's not just being stressed and tired like some people think, it's a serious illness and when you have it you're both mentally and physically completely crushed for 6 months.

[TinyPaedoLikesTinyPeople 0]

So what are Lithuania doing fucking playing him against the Faroes if they're so worried he's burnt out?

See Whilst He Was At Hearts You Could See He Was A Finisher, By Far Our Best Finisher , I Reckon Given His Chance He'd Give Boyd A Run For His Money At Finishing. As For The Burnt Oot Part. Velicka Smokes not Just Fags But From What I Seen From My Window On Various Occasions There Was Also Big Thin Fags{Joints I Guess} He's Lazy In Training And This Is Maybe Why He Does Not Get A Game.

[ForeverBlue_Since91 2,895]

hows he burntout he's no played and thats embarressing that he was signed because he score's against celtic. is that why they are going for don cowie because he scored against celtic a few months back :angry2: :angry2: :angry2:

[StayWestFree 107]

I like Velicka, I rate him as a good player and I hope he gets a chance in the team if someones out injuried.