Rangers news: Galatasaray star Arda Turan will fulfil Ibrox dream in Europa League, reveals Tommy Wilson
TOMMY WILSON says Arda Turan will finally fulfil his Ibrox dream on Thursday.
Former Barcelona and Atletico Madrid ace Turan rejoined Galatasaray in the summer after coming through the ranks there as a kid.
But it was during his first spell in Istanbul that ex-Rangers academy technical director Wilson met him.
Wilson was bossing Scotland’s Under-19s alongside Archie Gemmill at the 2006 European Championships in Poland when Turan approached him and scout Billy Kirkwood to reveal his Rangers hope.
He said: “I’ll never forget that conversation. He was quite direct about it too.
“All the teams were staying in the same hotel in Poland, which was a little bit strange.
“I don’t know where the Rangers connection came up. He knew Rangers were a big club and he definitely had a conversation with me and Kirky about coming to Rangers.
“He spoke English, so he maybe wanted to speak English.
“Maybe he had a real interest.
“I’d have thought he’d have been more interested in going over to the Spanish team to try to ingratiate himself with them.
“I remember him being open and a boy who was easy to get on with.
“Obviously at that time you didn’t know which ones would make it all the way.
“I’ve no idea how the conversation happened, how it started or what it was about. I do know I’d just agreed to join Rangers and Jimmy Sinclair and I had talked to Kirky about joining us, so I think maybe Kirky was wearing two hats on that occasion.
“It would have been quite a coup for us to get a boy who eventually went on to achieve so much. What a career he’s had. He’s been absolutely superb for the clubs he’s been at.”
Rangers wasn’t all Turan wanted to speak about after being asked to play right-back for his country as Wilson’s side somehow saw off the Turks 3-2 to qualify from the group stages in Poznan.
Wilson said: “I remember him in the games. We beat Turkey 3-2 and I don’t know how we managed it.
“They were probably one of the most talented teams, but their organisation maybe let them down. It was a crazy group.
“Turan played right-back and he was moaning about it to us. When I saw him later on I was wondering why he was in midfield. I think he was one of those boys who could play everywhere. Certain players just stick out.
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“In the qualifiers we’d played France with Samir Nasri and Karim Benzema and I remember them. Benzema scored against us and I also remember Nasri’s antics coming off the pitch when we knocked them out.”
Scotland went all the way to the final, where they lost to Spain.
Wilson added: “When I went to Poland for the draw we got Turkey, Portugal and Spain.
“We’d call it the group of death. The Turkish coach called it the blood group.
“I was being interviewed by the Uefa guy and he asked if I thought we could make it out the group. I said, ‘Yes, of course we can’. The truth was I didn’t.
“What a group. It couldn’t have been any harder. He said jokingly, ‘You’ll need Sean Connery to help you qualify’. But we did so well.”
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Wilson has spent the past seven years as academy director at MLS side Philadelphia Union, but he still keeps tabs on the Scottish game.
He added: “I watch Premiership games when I can and when I’m back. I stay as current as I can be.
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“Rangers’ record in Europe has been absolutely superb. To go to Holland and beat a Dutch club 4-0 doesn’t happen very often.”
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