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Goodbye Vince – thanks for nothing

Vince Grella. Otherwise known as Vince Who? to the majority of Premier League fans.

Signed for around £4million from Torino in 2008 by Paul Ince, Grella has gone on to etch his name in Rovers’ folklore as a true legend of the club. Sorry, scratch that, Grella has gone on to achieve precisely nothing.

In four seasons at Ewood, he’s started 29 league games. Other than that, he can lay claim to being one of the most expensive treatment table covers ever purchased, at around £30k per week.

Despite this, he did manage to make it to the 2010 World Cup with Australia. Impressive stuff until you remember he lasted just 45 minutes against Germany before limping off with yet another injury.

His time in Blackburn appears to be over after he announced he’ll be leaving in June and expects to play in Italy next year. Quite what he thinks he’ll be playing is another matter.

When any player leaves, it’s natural for fans to fondly remember the good times. A great performance, maybe a wonder goal, something which can be stored in the memory banks to discuss over a pint in later years.

Grella’s highlight was a game from April 2009. Against Middlesborough Reserves.

Yes, a reserve game was the pinnacle of four years and £4million. In a team containing Danny Simpson and Benni McCarthy, Grella lasted a whole ninety minutes.

In fairness, he looked half-decent, but even on the night which would prove to be the high-point of his Rovers career, he still wasn’t the best player on the park. That honour fell to Bryan Hodge. He’s at Brechin City now, which just about sums things up.

Rovers have made some bad signings down the years – Norman Bell, Jimmy Quinn & Corrado Grabbi spring to mind – but Grella is right up there with them.

So well done Ince for a wonderful piece of business. £4 million? It’s a good job it was someone else’s money.

Goodbye and good riddance Vince. Thanks for nothing.

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