Former Rangers midfielder Alejandro Bedoya has recalled how he became a victim of the Old Firm rivalry when Celtic fans trashed his car.
The American internationalist spent one season at Ibrox after signing from Swedish side Orebro SK in 2011, but that was enough time to make him appreciate the intense atmosphere between Rangers and Celtic in Glasgow.
Bedoya made a total of 12 appearances for Rangers before returning to Sweden with Helsingborgs.
Speaking to the theplayerstribune.com, the 29-year-old, who is now playing in France with Nantes, said: “In 2011 I moved to Glasgow, Scotland, to play for Rangers, and it was almost like the other extreme.
“Glasgow is a blue-collar, industrial city of hard-working people with a crazy passion for soccer.
“I saw a whole other side of soccer and politics – Protestant versus Catholic.
“The city really feels divided into sides: That’s a Rangers side; that’s a Celtic side. And I became all too aware of it.
“One day my neighbour came over to my place and said, “Your car’s messed up.”
“I walked outside and got my own tiny sense of the Old Firm rivalry.
“My car had been egged and toilet-papered by Celtic fans. Apparently, that happens a lot.
“Luckily, the locker room at Ibrox is all about the banter, so you learn not to take things too seriously.”
