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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Mark Walker

Rangers transfer target Manhoef on his kickboxing passion and football decision

Rangers target Million Manhoef has revealed why he chose football over kickboxing and didn't follow in the footsteps of his famous MMA father.

The Ibrox side have been credited with an interest for Manhoef, who would cost them £2.5 million after a fine season for Vitesse Arnhem.

Rangers boss Philippe Clement refused to discuss links with the 21-year-old winger before their weekend Old Firm defeat at Celtic and stressed he wouldn't talk about individual targets.

Manhoef's father is three-time MMA world champion Melvin, who is a mixed martial arts and kickboxing legend with one of the best knockout records in history before his retirement last year.

His son was a guest in the Dutch TV channel Zippo Sports's Kick the Net programme at the weekend.

And he discussed why he chose football over martial arts.

He said: "My father and mother separated when I was six or seven. But before that, of course, I was pushed into kickboxing.

"I was two and a half years old when I put on the kickboxing gloves. When I turned four I also started playing football and did both sports. I fought in competitions and became Dutch kickboxing champion.

"Kickboxing is certainly a great passion, but at a certain point I could no longer combine the two sports and I chose football.

"It's a good thing that many people know that he is my father.

"But I want to do my own thing.

"He has had a great career, but to do that he had to make sacrifices with his family. And I grew up with my mother.

"I have experienced pressure at some point in my career because of my surname, but it's not been too bad.

"When I first broke into the Vitesse Arnhem first team I heard about it a lot and everyone was always asking about him.

"I used to say, 'what about my mother!'"

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