I had dinner at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant in Rangers' Ibrox stadium on a Europa League match night

Gordon Ramsay isn’t going anywhere, he recently told the New York Times. After 25 years on television, a consistent presence as one of the world’s most prolific celebrity chefs, he continues to serve up new series and projects. Ramsay has been awarded 17 Michelin stars in his career and currently holds eight, while overseeing a global network of 80 restaurants and brands.

I’m currently sitting in one of them, having been welcomed in through the Gordon Ramsay entrance at Glasgow’s Ibrox stadium, the home of Rangers, who will play Belgian side Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in two hours time.

The Gordon Ramsay connection to Rangers stretches back beyond the start of his career as a chef. Born in Johnstone, he grew up in a variety of locations in Scotland and England. There was a period of myth-making when he first burst forth onto UK television where the story was told of Gordon’s youth football experience playing for Rangers before an injury ended any ambitions to be a professional player, leading him to seek solace in the kitchen and start out on his journey in hospitality.

In 2002, he told the Observer: “My uncle Roland took me to my first game at Ibrox. I was seven and I went on his shoulders. The crowd was just phenomenal. We were standing by the terraces and I remember getting slightly nervous, and very scared. Because you just swayed then, you just moved in a sway formation.

“I kept on going until I was about 10. Then my mum and dad moved down south, to Stratford-upon-Avon, and I started to play a lot of football as a school kid. I did very well. I was a naturally aggressive left-back, a cut-throat tackler. You may have got past me once but there was never, ever, ever a second occasion.

“And eventually my parents moved back to Glasgow so that I could sign for Rangers. My dad was a Rangers fan and fantastically proud of me. But it was hard and very stressful. Never knowing if you were going to make it.”

Gordon Ramsay was a trialist in a testimonial match that was played at East Kilbride Thistle’s Showpark football ground in 1985 - a young Alistair McCoist was also in the Rangers squad that day. He also claims to have played for a Rangers team in friendlies against Morton and St Johnstone.

A spokesman for Ramsay says: "As detailed in Gordon's autobiography, Humble Pie, Gordon was a promising schoolboy who was monitored by Rangers over a three-year period during his school holidays when he attended their Youth Policy. During this time he played a couple of non-league matches as a trialist. A knee injury put paid to any further hopes of being signed by Rangers."

Whatever the substance of his football experience with Rangers, that period in his life led directly to his first forays into cooking and opened up a career that would ultimate see him become one of the most famous chefs in the world. He says: “I still love football, though, and I think cooking is like football. It's not a job, it's a passion. When you become good at it, it's a dream job and financially you need never to worry. Ever. But the two are so similar. They are about team effort, developing an understanding together and dedication. We spend more time together than we do with our families.

“And like football you have to learn your trade. An average cook in my kitchen spends between four and five years doing that - though it will take them 10 years to learn that trade anywhere else.”

His time in Glasgow was one of the motivators for launching the Menu by Gordon Ramsay restaurant at Ibrox. He said at the time of it's launch: "From a very young age I dreamt about having my name up in lights at Ibrox. Whilst my football career may have ended prematurely, I’m proud and delighted to have partnered with the Rangers team to develop an exclusive menu for the iconic stadium.

“Menu by Gordon Ramsay, features a stunning menu of seasonal produce and stand out dishes, all personally chosen by myself to offer a world class dining experience at the home of Scottish football."

The menu is part of match day hospitality at the Blue Sky Lounge, with views overlooking the pitch at Ibrox. We start with a glass of Couvent des Jacobins pinot noir, although a pint of Tennent’s seems to be the most popular pre-match drink at neighbouring tables.

I spread whipped seaweed butter on a chunk of sourdough bread as I spot former player Willie Johnstone taking pictures with some fans - he scored two goals in the 1972 European Cup Winners' Cup final against Dynamo Moscow, which Rangers won 3-2. Our starters arrive: Cured Scottish salmon, lime zest creme fraiche, pickled mouli radish and salmon roe; roasted red pepper risotto, ricotta dumplings, aged parmesan and basil.

The staff are efficient and friendly, balancing the pre-match build up and demands of the Europa League night atmosphere with keeping the dinner service on track and ferrying drinks to tables. Our main courses are slow cooked ox cheek and grilled Scottish fillet of beef, creamy mustard mash, broccolini and braising jus on one side of the table; pan seared sea bass and moules mariniere, chive pomme puree and baby vegetables on the other side. It may not match the culinary heights of some of Ramsay’s other properties but the menu sits at the higher end of match day hospitality, with the stadium atmosphere, rising in the background, adding to the experience.

There’s time for glazed dark chocolate mousse, raspberry ripple ice cream and caramelised pear and a pint from the bar before the Menu by Gordon Ramsay experience is concluded and the diners move from the Sky Blue Lounge out to their seats in the corner of the stadium.

The score is 1-0 when we return to our table for a half time pie and some cakes, thanks to a goal by Nicolas Raskin. Rangers will end up 2-1 winners of the match, securing a top 8 finish in the Europa League and qualification for the next round with the final direct place in the last 16.

Every Michelin star chef in the UK and Ireland, including Gordon Ramsay, has been invited to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery for a ceremony next week that will announce the stars awarded in the prestigious guide for 2025. Glasgow should expect to have two restaurants that retain their One Michelin Star rating and at least ten other restaurants that are guide recommended. As the top names in hospitality assemble in Glasgow, there’s now also this lounge at Ibrox with added celebrity chef star power.

Menu by Gordon Ramsay is available at the Sky Blue Lounge at Ibrox Stadium on match days. More details on hospitality here or email [email protected].

The Rangers Football Club, Ibrox Stadium, 150 Edmiston Drive, Glasgow, G51 2XD