Celtic tried to hijack my Rangers move — but I turned them down despite being a boyhood fan.

David Templeton has opened up about the extraordinary circumstances surrounding his 2012 transfer from Hearts to Rangers, revealing that Celtic attempted to intervene late in the deal despite knowing he had grown up supporting the Hoops.

The former Hearts winger has explained why he ultimately rejected the opportunity to wait for a move to Celtic and instead chose Rangers, even though the Glasgow giants were competing in the top flight and preparing for Champions League football at the time.

Templeton was a boyhood Celtic supporter, making the situation particularly unusual when Neil Lennon made contact while negotiations over his move to Ibrox were still taking place. However, despite the obvious attraction of joining the club he had supported as a child, Templeton felt there was only one realistic decision available to him.

The winger had joined Hearts as a teenager after being recruited from Stenhousemuir at the age of 16. He developed through the Tynecastle club’s youth system and eventually established himself as an important first-team player.

His progress continued under Jim Jefferies, although his relationship with the club became more complicated after Paulo Sergio took charge. Templeton was left out of the Hearts side that famously demolished Hibernian 5-1 in the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden.

The following season brought major financial problems for Hearts. Under John McGlynn, the club were forced to make significant reductions to their spending, and Templeton became one of the players who could potentially generate an important transfer fee.

Despite the difficulties, he had produced some memorable performances, particularly against Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool. Templeton impressed over the two meetings and even scored a late goal at Anfield, increasing interest in his services.

With Hearts desperate to raise money before the transfer deadline, Rangers emerged with an offer that the Edinburgh club could not afford to ignore. Rangers were competing in League Two at the time after their financial collapse, but Ally McCoist’s side were determined to bring Templeton to Ibrox.

Templeton has now recalled just how chaotic the final stages of the transfer became. He explained that negotiations continued deep into the final night of the transfer window, with the player remaining at Murray Park until approximately two in the morning as the deal was being completed.

Then came an unexpected development.

While Templeton was sitting outside, his agent received a phone call from Celtic manager Neil Lennon. The Parkhead club were interested in signing the winger, but their proposal was very different from Rangers’.

Celtic wanted Templeton to remain at Hearts until his contract expired and then move to Parkhead the following summer. For Templeton, however, that proposal did not make sense.

He questioned what would happen if he suffered a serious injury during the remainder of his Hearts contract. Celtic could potentially change their plans, leaving him without the security of the transfer he was hoping to secure.

Templeton also revealed that Hearts made their position clear. The club needed the money from his transfer and told him that if he refused to join Rangers, he would effectively be frozen out for the remainder of the campaign.

That left him facing a difficult choice. If he rejected Rangers, he could have returned to Hearts without any guarantee of playing, while the club’s financial problems could potentially have affected other members of staff and players.

The Celtic option was undoubtedly tempting. Lennon’s side were playing in the Champions League, competing in Scotland’s top division and operating at a level far above Rangers, who had only recently dropped into the fourth tier.

Templeton admitted that the opportunity to join his childhood club was something he seriously considered. Yet the uncertainty surrounding the proposal, combined with the circumstances at Hearts, eventually pushed him towards Rangers.

Once he arrived at Ibrox and experienced the club’s facilities, met the manager and understood how strongly Rangers wanted him, his doubts disappeared.

Templeton explained that seeing the infrastructure at Rangers and speaking with McCoist made the decision straightforward. Despite his childhood allegiance to Celtic and the obvious advantages Celtic appeared to offer at that particular moment, he felt wanted at Ibrox.

The former winger therefore completed his move to Rangers, turning down the chance to potentially join his boyhood club in favour of securing his future immediately.

Looking back, Templeton’s story highlights just how unusual the circumstances surrounding his transfer were. Celtic had attempted to take advantage of the situation by asking him to wait, but Rangers offered him an immediate opportunity at a time when Hearts urgently needed the transfer fee.

For Templeton, the decision ultimately came down to certainty, security and feeling valued. His childhood support for Celtic mattered, but it could not outweigh the practical realities facing him.

The late intervention from Lennon added another remarkable twist to a transfer that was already unfolding under intense pressure. Templeton had entered the final day expecting to complete his move to Rangers, only for his agent to receive a call from the club he had supported growing up.

In the end, though, there was no dramatic late switch. Templeton chose Rangers, believing the immediate opportunity at Ibrox was the right path for his career. His decision remains one of the more intriguing stories from a transfer shaped by Hearts’ financial difficulties and Celtic’s late interest.