Scott Brown forces Rangers diehard into 180 as Celtic 'hate' melts away thanks to close Ayr encounter
Honest Cole McKinnon admits he used to HATE Scott Brown when he was a Celtic captain who regularly beat Rangers.
But now, the midfielder is full of admiration for the Ayr United gaffer – and hopes he becomes a top manager.
The former Ibrox youngster spent the second part of last season on loan at Somerset Park under former Parkhead icon Brown.
As a boyhood Gers supporter, McKinnon treated him as the enemy when he was embroiled in Old Firm battles.
But after working with Brown, and ex- Rangers defender Steven Whittaker, at Ayr – he's now a big fan of the Hoops legend.
McKinnon told Mailsport: 'Ayr was good for me. I went there after meeting Scott and Steven.
'I'd worked under Whitts before with Scotland Under-21's so I knew him.
'It was my first ever chat with Scott but he's a nice guy. He'd watched me play and at the end of the season, he gave me a lot of praise for how well I trained and played.
'The move didn't really work out the way we both wanted it to but I really hope Ayr do well this season because it's a club going in the right direction.
'I grew up hating Scott as Celtic captain because I was a Rangers fan. But then I ended up playing under him.
'He was really different to what I thought he'd be. He's such a good guy and it just shows you can't hate on someone for something like that.
'Hopefully, he'll become a great manager in the future.'
The 22-year-old is currently without a club after leaving Rangers but is determined to kick-start his career this season.
He said: 'I'm open to everything. I had chances when I was younger to go down south but at that time I felt my future was at Rangers.
'Now, it just needs to be right and the best option for me.
'I believe I can play at a high level. You always have to back yourself and believe in your ability.
'At the same time, I know I might have to take a step back to go two forwards.
'I'll assess my options and hopefully make the right decision.
'I want to play every week at a good level.'
You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
5 minutes ago
- Daily Record
I'm a Rangers man but this 'ridiculous' Celtic legend blows two of my club's very best out the water
Steve Nicol says Billy McNeill was better than Rangers greats like John Greig and Alex McLeish Billy McNeill is arguably the greatest defender ever to play in Scotland – and even self professed ' Rangers man' Steve Nicol admits he can't argue with that. 'Cesar' was the captain of the Celtic Lisbon Lions team who won the European Cup in 1967, which remains the greatest accomplishment by a Scottish team in Europe to this day. Rangers and Aberdeen have had their own glories on the continental stage but it would take a miracle for anything to rival the Hoops' triumph under the great Jock Stein. One man who knows a thing or two about a European Cup is former Liverpool right-back Nicol. He won one himself at Anfield in 1984, one of ten major honours he registered throughout his 13 years in Merseyside. Nicol played 27 times for Scotland in his pomp and while his domestic career north of the border was a little more low key, spending two years at Ayr before moving south, he's never hid his allegiances as a died-in-the-wool Rangers fan. But when asked how Ibrox greats such as John Greig and Alex McLeish fair compared to McNeil, it was a no-contest in his eyes. He was asked on ESPN to start one, bench one and drop one of that iconic trio of defenders. And there was only one winner. He said: 'Listen, I am a Rangers man. But I am going to have to go with Billy McNeill to start. Big Cesar. 'He captained Celtic to the old European Cup, now the Champions League. How many times did they win the league? Nine. Ridiculous. Billy McNeill would start. 'I would have John Greig on the bench. An absolute legend at Rangers. Lifted the old Cup Winners Cup in Europe for Rangers. Won plenty of titles. 'He was the manager at Rangers, as was Billy McNeill was manager at Celtic. "As good as big Eck was, unfortunately, Billy and John just outdo him. He would agree with that.' You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also on WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.
Scottish Sun
26 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Celtic hero left ‘starstruck' after meeting golf legend at Turnberry
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) IT's not every day that Celtic legend Frank McAvennie is left starstruck after meeting a fellow sporting icon. But the former Celtic, West Ham and Scotland striker couldn't believe his eyes when he realised he was standing next to one of the all-time golfing greats at Turnberry this week. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Frank McAvennie wit Gary Player at Trump Turnberry McAvennie, 65, shared a picture on social media after he caught up with three-time Masters winner Gary Player on the famous course in Ayrshire. Earlier this year the retired footballer caused a stir on social media when he was pictured with Kylie Minogue during a golf day at Marr Hall. This time he had his fans in awe with his snap with the South African legend who is regarded as one of the best player to have ever lived. Player won 165 professional tournaments over seven decades after turning professional in 1953 at the age of 17. He is only one of six golfers to achieve a career gland slam by winning four majors. Now aged 89, Player enjoyed plenty of success in Scotland as he won two of his three Open Championship titles there. He won the Open Championship at Muirfield in 1959 and at Carnoustie in 1968. Sharing the snap with the golf legend on Instagram, McAvennie wrote: "One of the true legends of golf, Gary Player, down Trump Turnberry Scotland just before teeing off. "Don't get starstruck often, but this guy is a different level and a proper gentleman." Reacting to the post, one fan wrote: "Great photo Macca." Another said: "Brilliant photo Macca." A third commented: "Even heroes have heroes." Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Glasgow Times
38 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Ex-Celtic star available for transfer as club make decision
The forward, who spent last season on loan at Leicester City, is not part of the FA Cup winners' future plans, according to The Athletic. Edouard made a name for himself at Celtic after initially joining on loan from PSG, leading to a permanent deal. His success led to a big-money move to Palace in 2021. However, he has not managed to establish himself in south London. This news comes as Celtic are seeking forward reinforcements to support Adam Idah and Callum Osmand. The Hoops are reportedly interested in signing Shin Yamada, who is believed to be on his way in a £1.5 million switch from the J-League. Italy Under-21 star, Giuseppe Ambrosino, is also said to be on their radar.
