He could have picked some of the UK's biggest clubs - but Andrew Barrowman says swapping Rangers for Birmingham City was a move that set him up for a career in football.
The former striker - a former pupil at Wishaw's Coltness high school - enjoyed a fine playing career and succeeded at clubs like Dunfermline and Ross County. He also had a stint with Albion Rovers.
Now retired and working with League Two title chasers Kelty Hearts as sporting director, Barrowman still uses lessons he learned at Birmingham City.
He opted to leave Rangers at a time where Dick Advocaat was in charge at senior level to go to Birmingham City, who were in the English Championship.
That was despite interest from Premier League outfits Newcastle and Leeds United, who at the time were pushing at the summit of England's top tier.
Speaking on the 11th episode of the Lanarkshire Live Sport Podcast , Barrowman says leaving Rangers and staying in Birmingham for six years was a great decision.
He said: "I was 16. I had been at Rangers as a kid all the way through to then. I then got the opportunity at Birmingham. I got a really good feel for them.
"At the time they were a Championship team and a big club that weren't too big. I thought I could go there and have a chance to progress into the first-team.
"The other teams were clubs like Newcastle and Leeds United. Leeds at that time had just got to the Champions League and I thought 'what are my chances there?'
"So Birmingham felt right for a number of reasons. I went down and it was really successful. I learned a lot and it stood me in good stead.
"I got on the fringes of the first team but was never quite good enough. I felt short but I learned a lot of things that I used through my career.
"I really enjoyed my six years down there. At the time I was at Rangers, it was the Dick Advocaat era and they were signing youngsters for £250,000 and things like that. It was crazy.
"It was the right move for me. It was a bit of a gamble but it made me moving down to Birmingham."
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