Gordon Ramsay admitted in 2009 that he may have exaggerated the extent of his football career.
Ramsay was born in 1966 in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, and grew up in Stratford–on–Avon from the age of five. Wikipedia states that he represented Warwickshire as a schoolboy. In the mid–1980s he had a trial with Glasgow Rangers – the club he supported as a boy – but this was cut short after he tore a ligament.
According to an article in The Telegraph (cited by Wikipedia), he later claimed to have played two first team games for Rangers (against St Johnstone and Morton), but this has been described by the club historian as "nonsense".
Wikipedia quotes Ramsay's autobiography, in which he claims that he 'played "a couple of non–league matches as a trialist" for Rangers and was signed by the club at the age of 15.' The book includes a photograph of Ramsay in a Rangers squad that also includes club legend Ally McCoist. The man who took that photograph however explains in the Telegraph article that "the photo was not one of Rangers first team but a side picked to play a testimonial match". Ramsay was listed on the team sheet for that testimonial as "trialist".
The Telegraph article, in conclusion, quotes "a spokesman for Ramsay" as saying: "Gordon was a promising school boy who was monitored by Rangers over a three–year period during his school holidays when he attended their Youth Policy. During this time he played a couple of non–league matches as a trialist. A knee injury put paid to any further hopes of being signed by Rangers."
© Haydn Thompson 2018