SINCE moving to Australia his life has turned upside down.
Once a star for Rangers and Scotland.
He was a one-time Ibrox captain before hanging up his boots with 14 caps.
Now he lives Down Under owning and running a multi-million pound technology business.
Gavin Rae, 45, has revealed how his life couldn’t be more different to his career in football over two decades.
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Rae said: “When I first came to Sydney nine years ago I went into technology recruitment.
“It was just a few months after I retired from playing in Scotland and I was basically starting from scratch in another career at the age of 36.
“I was completely new to the industry having had no prior experience.
“All I knew was professional football and suddenly I was working in an office environment Monday to Friday.
“At that stage I was at the same level as 18 year-old graduates.
“But after four years I found myself in a position where I was buying the company.
“The firm was originally based in France and during Covid they decided to pull out of Australia.
“That’s when I bought it over with my co-founder, Mandar Karlekar, and we’ve been running it ever since, for the last five years.
“I was initially asked to run things but the opportunity arose for me to become one of the majority shareholders and I decided to go for it.
“Our company, Product Rocket, now focuses more on technology consultancy.
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“We employ 12 full-time staff and contract them out to our clients to consult on their digital technology.
“It’s a relatively small business but we have a multi-million dollar turnover, working all across Australia and in the United States as well.
“It’s fair to say it’s a different world from being a footballer in Scotland.
“But there are definitely transferrable skills too which I learned from playing football and being in sport.
“You’re obviously good at working in a team environment and you’ve had a drive and passion about something for a good number of years.
“Those are skills you can take into the business world, along with a determination to succeed.
“One thing I will say to anyone leaving the game, though, is that you have to have an open mindset.
“I can honestly say I absolutely love it.
“It’s been incredibly hard work and I’ve needed a lot of luck along the way but things have worked out better than I could ever have expected when I first came to Australia nine years ago.”
Rae has absolutely no regrets about moving Down Under with his Aussie wife, Barbara.
It was always their plan to raise their twins, Jacob and Gabriella, in Sydney after he hung up his boots.
His made the most of his playing career, playing his way into the Dundee Hall of Fame over three different spells.
He also made over 100 appearances for Cardiff, playing in the 2008 FA Cup final in 2008, losing to Portsmouth.
Rae also had a season with boyhood club Aberdeen.
He added: “If I’m being honest, I think one of the main reasons I got a start in recruitment was because of my background as a footballer.
“I was never high profile or anything like that.
“But I think the company probably thought I would open doors because I had played at a good level.
“These days, my career comes up in conversation from time to time when I’m meeting clients.
“It certainly doesn’t get deals over the line!
“But there have been times when it’s been mentioned that I played in Scotland and England - but that’s almost always when the person I’m taking to has a UK background.
Rae had a stint as coach of part-time Hakoah Sydney City after first arrive in Oz but isn’t involved in the game now.
He added: “My two kids are almost 15 now and I spend my weekends watching them play and with their training schedules that takes up all my time.
“I still play over 35s football to stay in shape.
“We have lads from Scotland, the UK and around Europe who all love their football so the banter is great.
“We have both Celtic and Rangers fans in the team and it’s a good laugh.
“I’ve also been invited to some of the supporters’ clubs in Sydney and they always give me a great welcome.
“When I think back on my playing career I think I got everything out of it I possibly could.
“I think I did the absolute maximum out of the ability I had and I’m proud of everything I achieved.
“I don’t think I was blessed with amazing talent but I did the very best with what I had.
“I was so fortunate to have played for so many amazing clubs over almost 20 years.
“I dedicated myself to my craft, which I’m proud of, and it’s given me a great grounding for life outside of football.
“It was daunting retiring at 36 and stepping out into the real world. It’s definitely not easy for anyone in that situation when you’ve only known one thing for so long.
“But I couldn’t be happier with how things have worked out for me.”
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