A player who was expected to succeed at Manchester United was HE.
Thus, it appeared that Rangers’ signing of him on a free transfer might be considered something of a coup.
For Bojan Djordjic, however, it eventually didn’t work out at Ibrox.
Djordjic, who cost £1 million when he went from Sweden to Manchester United as a teenager, made an immediate impression on the Old Trafford development system.
When he won the club’s academy player of the year title just a year later, at the age of 18, many people believed he had a genuine chance of succeeding.
He first caught the eye of Scottish football fans in May 2001 when he was part of the Man Utd squad that took on Celtic at Parkhead in a testimonial for Hoops hero Tom Boyd.
Coming on as a substitute for Ryan Giggs, Djordjic sealed a 2-0 win for United with a stunning chipped goal late on.
In the end, Djordjic made only a couple of competitive appearances for the Red Devils.
After loan spells with Sheffield Wednesday, AGF and Red Star Belgrade, Djordjic moved permanently to Rangers in January 2005.
In a baptism of fire, he made his debut at Celtic Park from the start.
Although the Hoops would win 2-1 on the day, Rangers would go on to win the SPL title on a dramatic final day of the season.
Djordjic started the Gers’ next three matches, securing wins over Dunfermline, Aberdeen and Livingston.
But he was injured in the Livi match and ended up out of action for over month.
He returned against Inverness CT in March but that proved to be his final match for the Light Blues.
Djordjic’s short term deal wasn’t extended and he was a free agent once again in the summer of 2005.
He went on to represent a host of other clubs prior to his retirement in 2015, including spells in Hungary, Belgium and India.
These days, Djordjic has a completely different career.
He became a pundit for Viaplay in the mid-2000s and continues to work for the broadcaster today, having also made appearances on MUTV.
Now aged 41, he’s a familiar face on the channel’s coverage and appears on Premier League and Champions League broadcasts.
Not afraid to speak his mind, Djordjic has become known for his passionate approach to his new career.
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