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Daily Record
Sport
Ben Banks

Celtic and Rangers transfers praised as former star admits he's 'lucky' to have played in star-studded team

He's watched as his former teammates have moved on to Celtic, Rangers and more - with Hamilton coach John Rankin just grateful he played with them.

The former midfielder played with Dundee United between 2011-16 and it was in the 2013/14 season where he played with a host of excellent players.

Gary Mackay-Steven, Stuart Armstrong, Nadir Ciftci, Ryan Gauld and John Souttar all featured heavily for the Tannadice side that year. And that's without mentioning current Scotland captain Andy Robertson.

While experienced players like Rankin and Paul Paton maintained order with their knowledge in the game, youthful exuberance drove manager Jackie McNamara's side to a fourth-placed Premiership finish and a Scottish Cup final.

Mackay-Steven, Armstrong and Ciftci all moved to Celtic and Gauld won a move to Portugal with Sporting Lisbon, while Souttar is bound for Rangers after time with Hearts.

Robertson is the standout name after winning the Champions League and Premier League with Liverpool, and the current Hamilton Accies coach says their respective moves following time in Tayside show how fortunate he was.

Speaking on the Lanarkshire Live Sport Podcast , Rankin said: "We had kids there who were 16, 17, I think Andy Robertson was 18. If you give these young players a platform, they will make mistakes.

"But they also have excitement, enthusiasm and endeavour to go and kick you on. I was an old guy in the middle of them, I was a traffic warden!

"I told them to go here and there, and not one of them answered back. They knew what I was asking them to do was beneficial for the team.

"Jackie allowed me to have that influence on them, he was fine. I had a guy next to me I loved playing with, Paul Paton. We were the older guys and the others went and played.

"You look at the moves some of the guys have got from that team. Mackay-Steven, Celtic, Armstrong, Celtic, Andy Robertson, Liverpool, Gauld, Sporting Lisbon, Souttar, Hearts and about to go to Rangers.

"Ciftci ended up at Celtic and I think about how lucky I was to be in that team."

Follow Lanarkshire Live Sport on Twitter via @LanLiveSport, like us on Facebook or find us on Instagram for the latest sports news, pictures and video.

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