SCOTT Arfield hopes to continue to honour the memory of his friend Craig Gowans by wearing his number 37 shirt at Rangers.
The midfielder was a youngster at Falkirk when team-mate Gowans was tragically killed aged just 17 in 2005 in a freak accident, being electrocuted when 20-foot poles he was carrying came into contact with overhead wires at the Little Kerse training ground in Grangemouth.
Arfield proudly sported his tribute to Gowans in the English Premier League at Burnley, and he has his fingers crossed that he can again take on the number 37 at Ibrox.
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“I hope so,” Arfield said. “I spoke to Craig’s family, his siblings and his mum and dad. They were ecstatic that I still want to take that on.
“It is something that means a lot to me and my family. If it gets rubber-stamped, I will be buzzing to wear it.
“I feel as if when I wear it there is a sentimental factor that kind of gives you a peace of mind. You feel as if your mate is looking down and you are carrying on things not just for you, but also Craig’s legacy as well as his family. Squad numbers mean a lot to certain players and some don’t to others. Certainly, that one means a lot to me.
“It was Craig’s squad number when we came through and broke into the first team. I was 31 and he was 37. At the time, that got retired by Falkirk. I couldn’t do it at Huddersfield but when I went to Burnley, I thought: ‘This is the time’.”
The Canadian international added: “Thankfully, we got to a level in the Premier League. That league is shown everywhere across the globe so that number got a prominent position around the world. Everyone knows why I wore it.”
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