ZENIT boss Dick Advocaat reckons that Barry Ferguson would NEVER have returned to Rangers if he'd taken over as manager of Blackburn Rovers.

The outspoken Dutchman was the man who launched Ferguson's career back in 1998 when he took over from Walter Smith at Ibrox.

Next week in Manchester, he will come face to face with his former pupil when Ferguson leads his side into the Uefa Cup Final against Zenit St Petersburg.

Ferguson returned to Rangers in January 2005 after a short spell in the Premiership, but Advocaat believes things would have panned out differently had he been accepted after applying for the role at Ewood Park vacated by Graeme Souness.

"Walter Smith did not use Ferguson when was young and, if I had not arrived at Rangers, another coach would have benefited because he is a natural talent," Advocaat said.

"I was still surprised, though, that he came back to Rangers from Blackburn.

"Mind you, I was surprised he played for Blackburn in the first place. He has much more talent than that and can and could still play for the top four clubs in England.

"It was a good move by David Murray to bring him back but he should be at Arsenal or Manchester United. He is not a lesser player than Owen Hargreaves and some others. I think he could play there too.

"I know he was homesick. The Blackburn team was not doing so well and I think he wanted back to Scotland.

"I tried to become their manager when Souness left. They decided not to take a foreigner and took Mark Hughes."

Advocaat was in typically bullish mood as he touched down in Glasgow on Wednesday to watch Rangers in action against Motherwell.

Revealing that he almost came back to Rangers in 2005 when they were badly struggling under Alex McLeish, he says the club will always be in his heart.

"When you work for Rangers, they are a special club and I always look for their results," he added.

"It could have happened that I went back when I was out of a job, but it didn't materialise."

He went on: "I know how much the game will mean next week to Rangers and, on any other night against any other team, I would be supporting them - but, in football, you have to win. And I have to win with Zenit."

Advocaat's is not the only subplot next week, with former Ranger Fernando Ricksen possibly set to start against the club he served for five years.

The colourful Dutchman was sent packing after an act of indiscipline on the team flight to South Africa just weeks into the Paul Le Guen reign.

Advocaat took him to Zenit, and he could fill the right-back role dependant on the fitness of Anyukov, who has an on-going ankle problem.

"When I bought him and Bert Konterman for Rangers, they were very poor at the beginning and afterwards Ricksen became better and better, winning Player of the Year," Advocaat added.

"He has had injuries, but because he has respect for me, he doesn't do stupid things. He knows how I am. It has been difficult for him since he became injured.

"Whether he plays in the final has to do with whether the right-back is fit. He has been playing with injections, including against Bayern, but I'm not sure if we can do the same again. If he can't play, Ricksen will play.

"When Fernando came to Zenit, it was very good that he couldn't read, couldn't see things. He said to me he liked Glasgow, but he couldn't live there any more. In Russia, nobody knew him so he could do what he wants without people writing about him. For him it was a very good move.

"I don't think he does crazy things because he knows the police in Russia would not give him a very nice time.

"The prisons in Scotland are very poor, I heard. But in Russia maybe you would be in there with eight people! Because of that, he is careful."