Hamburg’s chief scout Johannes Spors has revealed that the German club’s shock transfer swoop for David Bates from Rangers came out of the blue.
The Scottish centre back headed for Germany at the end of his contract at Ibrox, having rejected a contract offer from the Gers, earlier this summer in what was a seriously surprising move, leaving many fans disappointed at losing a player who was thought to have much potential.
Now Spors has revealed how he came upon Bates as a potential target, highlighting one impressive performance in an Old Firm derby, and that it was a random, but successful, swoop.
He told the Daily Record: “Sometimes you can discover players by random and that’s what happened here. I noticed David Bates in my research because he got praise as a very young player in an important match for Rangers against Celtic and his data was impressive.
“We watched the game again and he was really good. Then I flew to Glasgow, watched him live and then met him in person. Added to this was a very favourable contract situation.
“He has huge potential for development and he has the right mentality to make an immediate impact. We want players like him.”
Opinion
Well at least Rangers fans can now have some closure as to how Hamburg came to signing Bates from under their nose, but it will not soften the blow that his exit caused. He was viewed as one of the club’s highest rated prospects, and to lose him to a side who are set to play their football in Germany’s second tier is a huge disappointment. Would he have changed his mind had he known that Steven Gerrard was coming in to take over as manager, and that he would be playing in a squad vastly improved upon from last season? Only Bates can answer that question, but it would surely have been a much more difficult decision to make had he known the ambition that would be shown at Ibrox. Still, what is done is done and there is no turning back. Rangers will have to watch Bates flourish from afar, and the player himself will no doubt be hoping his former club can grow in the same way.