Ex-Celtic hero, club captain and midfielder confesses ‘love’ for Rangers and claims Old Firm rivalry ‘in the past’ ahead of Ibrox clash

As he gets ready to lead Ayr United against Rangers in the Scottish Cup, legendary former Celtic captain Scott Brown had a wry smile on his face during his pre-match press conference this week. Brown is used to the hate from the Rangers, having played the pantomime villain so many times during the Hoops’ Old Firm matches at Ibrox.

The 38-year-old, who was most recently appointed manager of The Honest Men, will have a different responsibilities this weekend at Ibrox as he moves from the middle of the park to the touchline.

“Both the club and the boys are going to have an amazing experience from it. They will treasure it, I’m sure, since you want to play against elite teams. While previewing the Scottish Cup match, Brown said, “Rangers is a good team and they try and squeeze the game, try to put you under pressure and dictate the play and we’ve got to deal with that.”

Keeping his tongue firmly in his cheek, the 38-year-old said the Belgian couldn’t be further from the truth. His counterpart for the weekend, Rangers manager Philippe Clement, had claimed earlier this week that his side would face a manager he knows “doesn’t really like Rangers”.

I love the Rangers

Brown grinned and said, “I love the Rangers.” For me, it’s all in the past. It is no longer there. We are aware that we are the underdogs. However, I have been a part of many of the upsets that have occurred in the cup.

“We must ensure that we maintain our focus in addition to the Rangers’ unwavering concentration. We ought to be alright as long as I don’t do anything. I’ll do everything in my power to assist, but once they enter the park, my voice won’t be heard, so we must make sure they are well-prepared and organized.

“The team that will be present will be excited about the event, but they also know that they must go there and give it their all because there will be times when they do not have the ball. We must have confidence in ourselves. We want to travel there and play in the game, but it’s a big game that will bring in a lot of money for the club, the manager said.

On Saturday, Rangers will play Ayr United in the Scottish Cup’s fifth round. Kickoff is at 5.30 p.m.

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