EGLINTON footballer Shane Ferguson has signed for Glasgow Rangers.
On the day Derry City’s Michael Duffy signed for Celtic, Ferguson is moving to the blue side of Glasgow after completing a loan move from parent club Newcastle United.
The North East club’s owner Mike Ashley has been bank-rolling cash-strapped Rangers. Ferguson is one of five players being sent to Rangers on loan.
The left-sided wing-back and midfielder has been with Newcastle since 2007.
He was also a gifted gaelic footballer.
“I used to play for Derry County (in Gaelic football) before I signed up as a professional,” he said in an interview in Newcastle.
“It has helped me a bit. Gaelic helped me a lot – I may be small but I never get knocked about. People bounce into you and knock you about quite a lot in that game which means I’m never scared of the physical stuff when it comes to playing for Newcastle.
“I had to give it up to come to England – it is a bit rougher playing that than it is playing football over here and Newcastle told me to give it up in case I got injured, which I was going to do anyway.
“It’s a brutal game. It’s hard, you’ve never got any time on the ball in that game and people are picking up injuries all the time.
“But it’s a great sport and I still love it. When I’m back home I go and watch some matches, my local side and Derry. It’s huge in the Republic but it’s big in Derry as well – you get whole cities and towns leaving to go to Croke Park for a big final.
“Football was definitely always my first love, but GAA was next.”
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