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Holland: PSV end Ball's Ibrox hell [Thu Sep 1st, 2005]
PSV Eindhoven have signed Rangers defender Michael Ball on a two-year deal with an option of a further 12 months.
The left back, who has one England cap, is understood to have also held talks with Birmingham City.
But the Dutch giants made their move and were able to tempt the 25-year-old to the Philips Stadion.
Rangers had been desperate to get Ball off the wage bill as he was one of the last big earners of the Dick Advocaat era.
He had moved to Ibrox in the northern summer of 2001 in a £4 million deal which would have risen to £6.5 million had certain clauses been met.
But those clauses became a stumbling block to the player's career after he recovered from a serious knee injury which had put him out of action for 18 months.
Rangers' cash problems, which had been caused by big buys under the Dutchman, had left them unwilling to pay Everton an extra £500,000 once he hit 60 appearances.
As a result, Ball was left on the sidelines while the two clubs thrashed out a deal, which required the player himself making a contribution to his former employer.
Rangers were still keen to eliminate him altogether from the wage bill and were prepared to let him go without a fee.
His one England appearance came before he joined Rangers and was in a friendly with Spain in February 2001.
PA Sport
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