Being dumped by Rangers saved my career, admits Thistle star Marc Twaddle

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MARC TWADDLE was dumped on the football scrapheap by Rangers at 16.

Now the Partick Thistle star would love to get his own back by sending them spinning out of the Scottish Cup.

The young Glaswegian was gutted when former Murray Park youth guru George Adams told him it was over at Ibrox.

He hoped to build a career at Gers beside pals Stevie Smith and Charlie Adam but the defender now insists seeing his dream die was the BEST thing that ever happened to him.

Twaddle bounced back to win a deal at Falkirk and returned to haunt his old club last season when he scored the winner against Paul Le Guen's flops in an SPL clash.

The 21-year-old then dropped down a division to get regular first-team football with the Jags - even though John Hughes had offered him a deal to stay with the Bairns.

A 40-game season at Firhill has justified the defender's decision as he attempts to reach the top - five years after his Ibrox setback.

As he prepared for a cup quarter-final replay against Walter Smith's side today, Twaddle said: "Rangers released me and I was just thankful Falkirk gave me a trial.

"Yogi gave me my first chance in senior football and I will never forget that. When I look back on leaving Rangers it was the best thing that ever happened to me.

"At the time it was hard to take as I was just 16. But I had to pick myself up.

"When someone says you're not good enough, you want to prove them wrong.

"It was great to score the winner against Rangers last season for Falkirk. But I don't hold any grudges.

"I probably just wasn't good enough at that time and George decided to let me go - even though he had only been there for five months or so.

"If I had stayed at Murray Park I could have been lost to football for good so it has worked out well in the long-term.

"I wouldn't change anything and firmly believe in the old saying: 'What's for you won't go by you'. Only a handful have come through the ranks at Rangers - the likes of Charlie and Stevie were a year above me and have done well. "Can I reach that level again?

It's a big ask but I'm only 21 with a lot of years ahead.

"Coming to the First Division has helped because you need to be mentally strong.

"I've learned a lot under Ian McCall and the spirit in the camp is amazing.

"It can be done - Ross McCormack's success at Motherwell is an example of what you can do after Rangers."

Twaddle knows fine well it will be a totally different Rangers team this afternoon to the one he scored against in December 2006 when Le Guen toiled before being sacked.

But he's convinced the Jags can upset the odds and reach the semi-final at Hampden.

The First Division side came so close to an upset at Ibrox last month when they took the lead before Gers forced a replay.

And Twaddle believes boss McCall is about to wake up a sleeping giant.

Marc said: "Folk go on about my goal against Rangers last season and to do the same today would be nice.

"They were having a lot of problems when Falkirk beat them but this season Rangers have been fantastic.

"What can you say about them? They're going for a quadruple. Hopefully they'll only manage a treble and we get the Scottish Cup.

"Gers are on a phenomenal run and are pretty much unbeatable at the moment.

"But we think we can give them a problem and that's what we aim to do.

"A lot of people questioned my decision to come to Thistle.

Even Yogi was surprised but I think he would have done the same in my position.

"This club is a sleeping giant. Everyone says that and it's true. The Partick fans are fantastic and the manager has real ambitions here.

"In the next couple of years he wants us to be challenging for the SPL and we're a new team who are starting to gel."

McCall's men have been inconsistent in the league this year but the Firhill pitch hasn't helped them.

Rugby side Glasgow Warriors also play on the surface and Twaddle admits it's atrocious.

But he knows it could bring Rangers down a peg or two.

Marc said: "We'll turn up expecting a bog whereas Rangers might turn up and hope it's not as bad as they say.

"Believe me - it is. The pitch is shocking but there's nothing we can do about it.

"We need to play on the park that's there and we're under no illusions - Rangers are a bigger club than us so should be winning this game.

"But football doesn't always work out that way as we proved at Falkirk last season when I scored against Rangers."