Premiership ace reveals brutal collapse of life-changing Celtic transfer as Ally McCoist hits the Rangers fear

Experienced Dundee goalkeeper Trevor Carson has opened up about the disappointment of missing out on what would have been a ‘life changing’ move to Celtic back in 2018.

At the time, the eight-time Northern Ireland international was the first choice goalkeeper at Premiership side Motherwell in an era which had seen the team reach two cup finals before falling to defeat on both occasions against Celtic.

By January 2018, Carson’s form had earned him the admiration of the Celtic recruitment team, who believed the Sunderland academy graduate would be the perfect deputy to Craig Gordon in the Hoops goal.

Carson claimed that after a long-bidding war, he had agreed to sign a four-and-a-half-year contract at Celtic Park only to be denied the move at the final moment.

Speaking on Open Goal, Carson explained:  “At one point, everything was agreed, it was done. It would’ve been life-changing; it was a four-and-a-half-year deal. It was a chance to go and win trophies.”

“Obviously, it happened (Celtic bid), my agent had said all along they were going to get to the fee, it was just playing a bit of hardball with Motherwell, but we knew they would get there in the end and they finally did.

“Motherwell were signing the boy Freddie Woodman from Newcastle on loan, so Freddie is getting ready to come up, on his way up, and Joe Lewis gets injured at Aberdeen that day in training; this is the day before the window shuts.

“He’s on his way up. Obviously, Aberdeen come in for him, and he picks Aberdeen over Motherwell. Now I’m in the office with Stephen Robinson and Allan Burrows, and Robbo was like, ‘You can’t sell him; I’m resigning if you sell him.

“We got to a cup final, but in the league, we weren’t doing great; we were still hovering eighth or ninth in the league, we certainly weren’t away from relegation. Robbo’s point was, I need Trevor as my number one; we can’t sell him.”

Ultimately, it wasn’t to be for Carson and the Hoops instead moved for Dundee’s Scott Bain on a loan deal, which was later made permanent. 

Bain has made 53 league appearances throughout his time as back-up goalkeeper and has proved a useful addition. Meanwhile, Carson remains in the Premiership and ironically now finds himself as the first choice shot-stopper of Bain’s former club Dundee.

Ally McCoist expresses Rangers Europa League fear

Rangers legend Ally McCoist has joked that he will be watching a lot of Rangers’ Europa League games from behind the coach after the team’s slow start to the season.

The Light Blues have been handed challenging tasks against Manchester United and Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham in the league phase and shared his reaction live on Talksport.

“They’re brilliant games.” McCoist said.

“I’ll be watching those two from behind the couch with the way things are going at the moment. I mean you couldn’t make that up really, big Ange coming back up to Ibrox and then obviously going up to Old Trafford.”

Rangers are third in the league with 10 points from five games, leaving them five points adrift of leaders Celtic.

The Gers kick-off their European schedule with an away clash against Malmo next week.