I left Rangers at 16, just helped German club end Bundesliga absence

Former Rangers youngster Dire Mebude has helped Hamburg gain promotion back to the Bundesliga.

The club were the last surviving member of the German top flight to have played in every season since its formation in 1963 until their eventual relegation in 2018.

They have played second-tier football since then, but after a thumping 6-1 win over Ulm on Saturday, they have returned to the promised land.

Mebude left Rangers at 16 to join Manchester City’s academy. He then signed for Belgian outfit KVC Westerlo on a permanent basis in 2023, before leaving on loan for Bristol City less than a year later.

Now in a temporary spell at Hamburg, Mebude has helped his team return to the Bundesliga.