John Lundstram has revealed that he held talks with former Glasgow Rangers teammate Ridvan Yilmaz before joining Trabzonspor this summer.
The midfielder has been speaking to TRT Spor after switching Ibrox for life in Turkey when his contract came to an end at the beginning of this month.
Lundstram had been with Rangers since joining them on a free transfer from Sheffield United in July 2021 and went on to be a key player for them, making 153 appearances for the club over his three years there.
It became apparent he was not a part of Philippe Clement’s plans moving forwards, though, with Rangers planning something of an overhaul this summer.
This his contract at Ibrox was allowed to expire and he elected to head to Turkey, with Trabzonspor moving quickly to wrap up his signature.
The move represents a significant change in scenery for Lundstram, who until this point has spent his entire career in the United Kingdom after coming through Everton’s youth ranks and playing for the likes of Doncaster, Yeovil, Leyton Orient, Blackpool, Scunthorpe, Oxford United and then Rangers.
And it seems he was determined to do his research before making the switch, holding talks with a man at Ibrox who could give him the lowdown first hand, Ridvan Yilmaz.
“He told me that Turkish people would be warm and good,” he said.
“I saw this in a week in Trabzon. We saw that everyone welcomed us warmly in the restaurants and shopping centres we went to in Trabzon with my wife.
“They are polite people. I will try to repay this warm welcome and the kindness of the people with my own performance.”
