Celtic legend John Hartson has revealed all about the day he came seconds from joining Rangers, six-months prior to signing for the Hoops.
John Hartson has explained that he ‘dodged a bullet’ when he nearly signed for Rangers in January 2001, after making the trip to Ibrox to sign, only to fail his medical which blocked the move.
“I pretty much dodged a bullet that day,” Hartson explained to Open Goal, when discussing his failed move to Ibrox.
“Dick Advocaat came in and he was looking really down, I’d met him an hour before [my medical] and he was really excited.
“He just sat me down and was very apologetic and he said ‘John, I’m very sorry, we can’t proceed with the deal’.
“I said, ‘Why? What’s happened?’ and he said ‘There’s something showing up on the medical and it’s something with your knee’.”
Luckily for Hartson, the striker earned a move to the Old Firm in spite of his supposed knee issues and help it together for five season to repay the faith put in him from the green side of Glasgow.
In his half-decade with Celtic under Martin O’Neill, the Welshman bagged 109 goals in 201 games and won six trophies along the way, finishing as a runner up in the 2003 UEFA Cup final as the Hoops lost out to Jose Mourinho’s Porto.
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