Rangers ace Malik Tillman was sounded to Celtic last year
United States international Malik Tillman has already warmed himself to Rangers fans with the winning goal in the Champions League qualifier.
That commanding header against Royal Saint Union Gilloise is already an iconic moment at Ibrox but things could have been a lot different last year.
Former Ingolstadt coach Mark Fotheringham actually suggested the 20-year-old to a Celtic scout during a game in Germany last season but the Hoops decided not to make a move.
“Tillman’s a brilliant talent,” Fotheringham said to The Sun. “I’ve known about him for a while. When I was at Ingolstadt I recommended we took him from Bayern Munich on loan.
“Their reserve team plays in the Bundesliga second tier and it’s packed with top-quality players like Tillman. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get anything done. He would’ve been fantastic for Ingolstadt.
“Now I just wish he was at Celtic. I know their European scout and bumped into him last year at a Greuther Furth game — and I told him all about Tillman.
“I actually said, ‘Mate, sign him blind. Trust me, he’s a great player who’d be perfect for Celtic’.”
Their loss
Giovanni van Bronckhorst will surely have a wry smile on his face when he realises that the Light Blues’ new star could have gone to their main rivals but now he is secure at Ibrox.
The 20-year-old had shown glimpses of brilliance before his crucial first goal for the club against the Belgian runners-up and quickly went about warming himself to the Scottish fans.
And now it is hard to imagine him in green and white hoops rather than the famous blue of Rangers and Ange Postecoglu may be reeling at the thought that he chose not to sign him after the recommendation.
Tillman now has to assert himself as a nailed-on starter for the Bears over fellow new recruit Tom Lawrence or maybe even as a winger ahead of Rabbi Matondo or Scott Wright.
If he keeps producing goals at key moments, van Bronckhorst will find it impossible to leave him out of any game.
In other Rangers news, Chris Sutton has lauded the work done by van Bronckhorst at Ibrox and has also made his claim ahead of the Champions League playoff against PSV Eindhoven.