A DESPERATE Rangers fan was able to watch the Europa League final in Seville after a kind-hearted stranger gave him a ticket.
Thomas Muir, 45, who grew up in Glasgow, decided on the day to travel to Spain and try to get a ticket to the stadium.
He flew to Faro, Portugal, where he rented a car and along with other Gers fans, drove to Seville.
In his hotel room, he had arranged for a local to sell him a ticket for the game for £1500 but shortly before he was due to pay, the deal fell through.
With only minutes until kick-off, the devastated man passed a few people on the street and started chatting to them.
After explaining his bad luck, he was ecstatic to learn that Pepe Panea, a Light Blues fan from Seville, had a spare ticket that he immediately offered to the stranger.
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The IT business owner said: "I could hear the fans singing and the UEFA music and I was pretty upset and I was a long way away from home.
"By 8.50pm, I had completely given up because none of the bars were showing the game and I didn't have a ticket to the fan zone.
"I walked past this gentleman, who smiled, so I smiled back.
"We started talking and I told him I was supposed to get a ticket but someone sold my ticket and he said 'I have a spare one'.
"I couldn't believe it, in 10 minutes we were in the stadium, upstairs, singing the songs with the Rangers fans."
As Pepe is disabled, the duo enjoyed the game from a special zone. Thomas was also offered sandwiches, biscuits and water by his new friend's mother.
He added: "We became really good friends, I actually gave him €700. He absolutely saved my life.
"Going from the emotion of no ticket to getting a one-way flight but not getting in the stadium, then to getting in, it was absolutely amazing.
"My wife just laughs, she thinks it's so random.
"After I got home, I received a message from Pepe. He was just so thankful that we met and he said he had the best time of his life and he's a big Rangers fan now.
"It nearly made me cry.
"I just feel really grateful that I met them, especially in those last five minutes. This is a memory that I won't forget for the rest of my life."
The next day, the Nottingham resident was able to book a flight home for less than £200, which he also described as "sheer luck".
He plans to invite Pepe and his mother over to the UK for a Rangers game next season, to say thank you for their kindness.
Even after the heartbreaking loss, the Gers fan will remember this adventure fondly.
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He said: "I felt sorry for Aaron Ramsey because I just didn't feel like he was going to score and he didn't and that was devastating.
"All the fans are really upset, but I have to be honest, the German penalties were absolutely brilliant.
"I wasn't a 100% confident we would win a shootout, I thought we should have won at the end of extra time but there weren't any chances. It's unlucky."
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