I was a Rangers trialist but rejected Steven Gerrard to join Celtic in one of the most bizarre moves of all time

Celtic fans have already dedicated a song to their American Bhoys as Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty look to propel the Hoops to Treble glory.

But two USA youngsters before them became the Forgotten Bhoys having failed to make any appearances for the club. Celtic tapped into the American market in January 2019 when they landed highly-rated duo Andrew Gutman and Manny Perez on three-and-a-half-year deals. However, work permit issues coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic destroyed the pair's chances of ever making the grade at Parkhead.

Both hopefuls came through the college circuit in America, but it was the capture of left-back Gutman that really made headlines. Just weeks before his shock switch to Celtic Park, the defender was on trial at Rangers and was reportedly offered a contract by Steven Gerrard after catching the eye at Auchenhowie. But the Indiana University graduate made a dramatic U-turn to commit his future across the city with Brendan Rodgers' side.

Speaking at the time, Gutman confessed: "I was on trial at Rangers initially and coming over I wasn’t really aware of how big the rivalry was between the two. I knew Matt Polster before my trial at Rangers, because he played in Chicago when I was growing up, but other than him I don’t keep in touch with any of the other guys there now.

"You don’t hear about it a lot in America, but when you come over to Scotland, you get told all about it. It was a weird feeling that I was on trial with Rangers then like two weeks later, I signed for Celtic after learning about the history of the two clubs. But I think I made the right choice.

"The quality in Celtic’s squad is just head and shoulders above the rest, and you can see that, especially as the season goes on,