David Templeton’s far fetched Celtic claims

David Templeton has claimed that he received a last minute offer from Celtic before joining the Ibrox Tribute Act in 2012!

The winger went from scoring for Hearts at Anfield in a Europa League qualifier to scoring twice on his Ibrox debut against Elgin City after completing an £800,000 transfer from Tynecastle.

Speaking to the Open Goal podcast Templeton has decided to reveal a secret that he has kept quiet on for 12 years with Glasgow World listening in to his podcast appearance:

Templeton has opened up how things could have worked out differently as Celtic officials made last-gasp effort to talk him into seeing out the remainder of his contract at Hearts before moving in the summer.

Instead, the one-time Scotland youth international opted for Rangers in August. But the transfer revelation left Open Goal host Si Ferry shocked as he detailed how the deal himself and old Hearts team mate Ryan McGowan were both wanted by the Govan outfit – with the latter rejecting them in favour of chasing a lucrative deal in China.

Templeton explained: “They tried to sell me and Ryan McGowan to Rangers. Both of us were at (the training ground). Gowser must have known as six months later he went to China for about £20,000 per week. That’s why he went to see Coisty to say he wasn’t signing.

“I met the gaffer. He was good and funny. You’ve obviously spoken to him and he is hilarious to be fair. I met him at the training ground. I actually had Celtic phone me while I was sitting outside. They wanted me to wait out my contract until the end of the season.”

That prompted Ferry to ask: “Had you already agreed with Ally McCoist?”. Templeton replied: “I was outside. I hadn’t even been in and spoke to the gaffer yet!

That yarn seems just too ridiculous to be true, sounding like a tale from the players agent who would know about interest from elsewhere before the player.

While selling his client on a move to the fourth tier of Scottish football alongside Kevin Kyle and Ian Black it would seem natural that the agent would try to flush out interest from elsewhere.

Perhaps the truth might be that after contacting Celtic the agent was told ‘maybe next year’ which has been flipped spectacularly.

Templeton injured his ankle in his second match, away to Annan Athletic which ruled him out for three months.

He hung around at Ibrox until June 2017, making three appearances for Mark Warburton will the last of them on August 2015, 21 months before his final pay day.