Captain Callum McGregor urges Celtic players to remain calm against Rangers

Celtic skipper Callum McGregor stressed the need to remain calm in Sunday’s Ibrox derby.

Ange Postecoglou’s side lead Rangers by three points and 14 goals in the cinch Premiership so the home supporters will be eager to create a hostile atmosphere and try to inspire their team to cut the gap.

When asked if he had a message to the newer players in the squad ahead of the game, McGregor told Celtic TV: “Just to stay calm. We know exactly the way we want to work, we have been doing it for seven, eight, nine months now in terms of the gaffer’s message and the way he wants us to play.

“When you come to these big games, it’s just important to stay calm and remember your principles, the way you want to work and the way that the team functions and do your job for the team. You get that success as a collective.

“We will be absolutely ready come the game, everyone fully focused, and carry out what the manager is asking us to do. The players will give everything and we will go there together to get a result.

“You go there and you want to win, you want to win for your supporters, for yourself, for your club, everyone together. I speak about that all the time, we are all as one, everything we do. When you go there, your job is to win and win well.”

Celtic’s best performance of the season was arguably their first half against Rangers in February, when they scored three goals without reply.

But there have been other dominant displays and McGregor insisted nothing would change in terms of preparation or approach.

“We don’t want to get carried away by the fixture or what it means,” the midfielder said. “We obviously understand the size of the game and what it is in the context of the season but we try and approach the game the same way as we approach every other game.

“The gaffer will be asking us to give our best performance in the next game and this is the next one. When that one’s done, he will be asking us to do exactly the same again.

“When you get into that way of working, then things become second nature and any time you go on the pitch as a team, you give absolutely everything.”

Celtic earlier released audio of Postecoglou’s pre-match team talk ahead of their Premier Sports Cup final win over Hibernian in December, as part of their season-ticket launch.

And the former Australia manager’s message chimed with McGregor’s line going into a big game as he told his players “don’t play the occasion”.

Postecoglou added: “The basic principles of our game – that’s what got us here, and that’s what’ll get us further – the things we can control. Don’t let any chaos out there derail from what we’re all about. That’s the most important thing.

“Just think about how we’ve overcome. It hasn’t been by changing our approach. It hasn’t been from veering from what we’re good at and what we believe in most of all.

“As I’ve said to you before, whatever challenges or obstacles are thrown at us today, we can get through them by sticking to our beliefs. Smash through it.

“You walk out there today, boys, feeling 10 feet tall – you know why? Because you’re wearing a shirt and you’re representing a club that’s achieved the greatest of achievements and you stand on the shoulders of the players who have achieved all of that before you.

“So you walk out there feeling invincible – 10 feet tall – and at the end of the game, when Cal lifts up the trophy, and you walk back in here, you’re going to be a little bit taller because you’ll be standing on what you created, on what you did, and you’ll have added to this football club.”

Meanwhile, winger Ben Doak looks set to be confirmed as a  Liverpool player after being photographed in a Reds changing room with his name on the back of their shirt.

The 16-year-old came off the bench against Rangers last time out in what looks to be his second and final game for Celtic.

The wide player this week scored a hat-trick for Scotland in an under-17 elite round European qualifier against Georgia.