Charlie Adam has spoken about how big the Old Firm derby is as Rangers are set to take on Celtic at Ibrox on Sunday.
The former Gers midfielder also played in the Merseyside derby for Liverpool against Everton, but believes that the Old Firm is at a different level.
Adam spent six seasons as a senior player at Ibrox, but joined the club’s academy as a teenager, winning the Scottish Youth Cup with the Gers in the 2001/02 season.
Charlie Adam names Old Firm derby as the best in the United Kingdom
As he has played for two of the United Kingdom’s biggest clubs, Rangers and Liverpool, it seems topical to ask Adam about the two rivalries.
Liverpool and Everton have a rivalry that started over a century ago and Merseyside derbies till date are feisty affairs.
However, given the gulf in class between the two teams, it’s usually the red half of Merseyside that ends up victorious.
Everton have been battling relegation in recent years, while the Reds have won the league and Champions League.
According to Adam, the two cannot be compared as the Old Firm is at a different level.
While he admits that the quality is not as good as it should be, he believes that the atmosphere, the religious aspect of the rivalry, and the history of the two clubs make it a bigger game.
When asked how the Merseyside and Old Firm derbies compare, Adam said on Call Yourself A Fan?: “They don’t. The Old Firm is probably elite in terms of atmosphere.
“The two teams, over the years, have spent a lot of money. The quality is not at the level it should be with the two, but the derby, the atmosphere, what it means.
“I get the background of it as well, in terms of religion and history, is massive, but the atmosphere does not come close to anything that I’ve experienced.
“Rangers, Celtic for me is the best derby in the UK.”
What Rangers fans can expect in the two games against Celtic
Fans of both clubs will now be treated to back-to-back Old Firm derbies on the following Sundays.
First, the two sides will square off in the Scottish Premiership and will then take on each other in the Scottish Cup.
Rangers supporters can expect Danny Rohl’s side to come out all guns blazing, looking to assert their dominance in the final third.
They are likely to play with two strikers pressing the Hoops players high up the pitch and dominating possession.
It will be worth keeping an eye on Youssef Chermiti, who shone against Celtic last time around and also bagged a hat-trick against Hearts.
