Born on this day is former Sunderland defender and UEFA Cup runner-up, Carlos Cuellar. The Spanish defender spent two years on Wearside, scoring once.
Cuellar only played one full season at Rangers, but helped Walter Smith’s side to the UEFA Cup final. He became a cult hero among Rangers fans, winning Scottish Premier League Player of the Month in August 2007. Despite wanting to “stay at Rangers for life”, the defender moved to Aston Villa days after suffering an injury in the first game of the 2008/09 season. Martin O’Neill paid £7.8m for the experienced defender.
At Villa, Cuellar had to become more versatile and filled in at fullback. This was due to the strong partnership of Curtis Davies and Martin Laursen at centre back. He scored the winning penalty in the 2009 Peace Cup final, which was a friendly competition held in Spain. During his time at Villa Park, Carlos played in every defensive position, including left-back. It was this versatility and willingness to play anywhere which led to him becoming a fan favourite at Aston Villa. Cuellar left Villa Park in 2012, and despite an opportunity to return to Spain he decided to join his old manager O’Neill at Sunderland.
Cuellar was our first summer signing, and at 30 years old had the experience to fix a leaky defence that often consisted of Matt Kilgallon or Titus Bramble. His versatility was surely a huge part of the move, with O’Neill not only looking for a centre half but also a more defensive-minded fullback; an alternative to Phil Bardsley and the out-of-position Craig Gardner. He was a solid addition, and started well on Wearside. However, his lack of pace was clearly an issue, especially next to the ageing duo of O’Shea and Brown.
In two years which were hampered by injuries and age catching up on the Spaniard, Cuellar only managed 30 appearances in the Premier League. He scored one goal in a 3-1 victory over Fulham, but his time in red and white was largely forgettable. Cuellar was clearly past his peak, but still offered some solidity at the back when needed. After leaving Sunderland, he joined Norwich on a one-year deal before playing for a number of smaller clubs around Spain as well as Israel.
