Andrew Gutman has suggested that he snubbed the chance to sign for Rangers before opting for Celtic in the January transfer window.
The 22-year-old signed for the Hoops on a free transfer in January, but has since been sent out on loan to NASL side Charlotte Independence, which is due to him not qualifying for a work permit in the UK.
And it seems that Steven Gerrard might have been trying to sign the left-back after a trial at Ibrox, only for him to decide to pen a deal with Celtic instead.
“I went on trial also with Rangers and both clubs were interested in me,” Gutman said, as quoted by American Soccer Now.
“Celtic is just a fantastic club and it has such a history in the biggest stages – the Champions League.
“I just decided in terms of my development and where I want to be with my goals that Celtic was the best path for me. So it was kind of a no-brainer.”
OPINION
Rangers won’t be losing any sleep after missing out on Gutman. It is a surprise that either team was trying to sign him in January really, especially due to the fact he was going to struggle to get a work permit. Gutman has also never played a senior game in his career. He came through the ranks at MLS side Chicago Fire, but had been playing college-level football for Indiana Hoosier before the Hoops signed him. Yes, he was considered one of the best players in the US at that level, but that level is so low in comparison to the top of the Scottish Premiership. Rangers got themselves Matt Polster in the end, and fans will surely have preferred him over Gutman if they had the choice. Polster has been capped by the USA national team, has played in MLS for Chicago Fire and is a much more established player than Gutman, who might really struggle to break into the Celtic first team.