KID CONNECTION
Inside Rangers and Scotland team-mates Nathan Patterson and Billy Gilmour’s secret boys club link – ‘It wasn’t cheating’
The duo went on to English Premier League careers with club and country - after a little incognito appearance
BILLY GILMOUR has revealed a secret link-up with future Rangers and Scotland team-mate Nathan Patterson at boys' club level.
Ardrossan kid Gilmour played for local team Tass Thistle where his dad Billy Senior was a coach.
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Patterson grew up 35 miles away in Glasgow and was signed to Rangers aged eight.
But both would cross paths at Rangers training centre and then at Hampden on Scotland duty in the future.
However before they became team-mates in the light blue and national navy blue - they shared the same yellow and blue kit.
But despite the incognito appearance, Gilmour insists they WERE NOT cheating.
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In a tell-all documentary of his football life, produced by the Scottish FA, Gilmour looked back on key moments from his career.
And one photo brought back memories.
He smiled: "Tass. Patto - that guy just follows me everywhere, doesn't he!
Holding the tablet to show the camera the image he added: "See this photo, Nathan never played for my boys club right, but we had a little tournament, Scotland boys club and another few big boys club teams and we got an invite.
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"So we took Nathan so we had me and Nathan in the team.
"It wisnae cheating though, he was just young."
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The film features key interviews with Gilmour's coaches, team-mates and family - plus the scout who spotted him for Rangers, Scott Bryson.
Dad Billy Snr was a player for local junior side Ardrossan Winton Rovers, but played a key football role as his son's coach - and knew just how to get the best out of him and kick-start a career at Rangers, Chelsea, Brighton and Norwich.
The midfielder went on: "Tass was good days - my boys club growing up playing with all my friends from back home at school.
"We'd play at the weekend, train after school and the next day you'd talk about how good it was at training. And my dad was the coach so if they said it was cr** I was telling my dad!
"My dad has known how to get the best out of me since I was very very young.
"I'd be playing fine and he would be saying 'He's doing better than you' and I'd be like 'no he isn't'. Then I'd get pure raging, pure annoyed.
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"That's when he's like 'When you're annoyed you play the best. When you're aggressive and you've got your teeth gritted that's when you're at your best playing football' - that's how he triggered me and I try to play like that all the time."
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