DIFFERENT PATH
I left Chelsea and signed for Rangers – and all because Brendan Rodgers sent me on trial at Celtic
He even remembers an eye-watering Old Firm win bonus too
DEAN FURMAN has an unlikely man to thank for launching his Rangers career.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers.
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Back in 2007, Rodgers was the top man in Chelsea's youth academy and South African midfielder Furman was one of his shining lights.
The path to the top team at Stamford Bridge was always packed though and Furman credits Rodgers looking out for him... even if he ended up on the opposite side of the Old firm than the Northern Irishman had planned.
Rodgers would of course go on to boss Celtic in two separate spells in the future, but he sent young midfielder north into the unknown with the hope he could become a Hoop in future too.
Furman never looked back - but signed on at the other end of Glasgow.
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He says it was a "class time" in Walter Smith's Rangers squad alongside the likes of Steven Davis, Kevin Thomson and Barry Ferguson.
And although he only played one top team game, as an end of season sub, he still has fond memories of Ibrox - and a HUGE Old Firm win bonus.
And it was all thanks to the most unlikely of transfer sources.
He told I Had Trials Once podcast: "Brendan Rodgers was my youth team coach - he was phenomenal.
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"And Brendan had links with Celtic back then.
"He sent me to Celtic and I went and spent a week at Celtic – I had a class week there, it was great.
"I knew an agent up there and he called me and while I was up there he took me round Murray Park and to Ibrox.
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"Two weeks later Rangers wanted me to come in for a week there, and at the end of that week they basically slapped a contract on the table.
"They said ‘We know you’ve been to Celtic but…here’s a contract’
"Maybe there was a bit of that [rivalry]. So I ended up signing for Rangers and I loved it. It was class."
Furman's three year deal gave him an experience he'll never forget - at a time when his friends in London were heading to uni in Manchester and Leeds, he was heading to Glasgow to play football.
And take in the Old Firm atmosphere with a difference.
He added: "My first Old Firm was at Celtic Park and they were singing You’ll never walk alone. I’ve never been in awe but it was phenomenal.
"We won, Ugo Ehiogu scored an overhead kick and we all got bonuses.
"First team bonus was about £1200 a game but for an Old Firm was £4k.
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"As an 18-year-old sitting on the bench that was unbelievable."
Furman eventually left and joined Oldham - though the Gers DID offer him an extra year at the end of his contract.
But Furman admitted: "There was no way I was going to play. If they DID want me to stay they'd have offered a better deal than that.
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"I'd been on loan at Bradford and then Oldham came in from the league above."
The South African is now interim player manager at Warrington Rylands 1906 in the Northern Premier League.
Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page