Rangers' former fisherman Gostomski is hooked on football
New Rangers goalkeeper Maciej Gostomski admits a spell working as a fisherman is still driving him to make his football career a success.
New Rangers goalkeeper Maciej Gostomski admits a spell working as a fisherman is still driving him to make his football career a success.
The 27-year-old joined Rangers until the end of the season after leaving Lech Poznan but he might not have been a footballer at all after becoming disillusioned with the game several years ago.
Gostomski told the Rangers website: "That break from the game was when I was about 22 years old. I wasn't playing in a good league or at a good club. I met bad people, bad agents and made bad decisions.
"I wanted to stop playing because Poland isn't so good if you're not at a good club and in a good league.
"You need to work to make money so I had in my mind that I should stop and go to work.
"I was for six months, I trained every day and did my stuff and then I was working as well as a fisherman.
"After that I was fit, my mind was clean and I played two good seasons and Lech came in for me so I was very happy.
"Those six months gave me a lot, now every day I train, every club I go to and every contract I get seems better.
"I am happy and feel that working every morning as a fisherman for small money made me realise how great being a footballer is."
Gostomski is used to the limelight he might encounter at Ibrox after making the front pages of Polish newspapers for throwing a pineapple at a window after going to a party following a defeat with his club.
"This pineapple story was a long time ago. It was when I was 17 and playing for Legia Warsaw," he said.
"I was at a party and I was dumb but really I did nothing and the next day I said sorry to everybody.
"In Poland they made it so big, it was a small incident in my opinion but of course it has followed me to Rangers nearly 10 years later."