'I drove into the city but got lost and ended up in Parkhead, right next to the Celtic stadium - guys on the street were yelling and swearing at me': Former Rangers man talks Glasgow and having his ARM BROKEN at Celtic
The Old Firm rivalry is not for the faint-hearted, as one former Rangers winger found out the hard way
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Former Rangers flanker Andrei Kanchelskis has told FourFourTwo about his baptism of fire in Glasgow.
Following a successful period in England with Manchester United and Everton, Kanchelskis endured a difficult season in Italy with Fiorentina. Upon returning to the UK in 1998 with Rangers for a Scottish record transfer of £5.5m, as part of Dick Advocaat's famous £25 million spending spree, he won a domestic treble in his first season.
It wasn't all plain sailing, however. While he suffered a broken arm in his first Old Firm clash, Kanchelskis unfortunately encountered more violence during his time in Glasgow.
Kanchelskis had four seasons at Rangers, including spending 2001 on loan at Manchester City (Image credit: Getty Images)
“The first derby I played against Celtic, where I broke my arm, was absolutely crazy,” Kanchelskis tells FourFourTwo. “I was thinking, ‘OK, welcome to Glasgow!’
“No derby captivated me quite like the Old Firm. Once, I drove into the city but got lost and ended up in Parkhead, right next to the Celtic stadium. Guys on the street were yelling and swearing at me – I was fortunate that I was in my car.
“One thing that made the Old Firm so unique was the chants: both sets of fans sang loudly right until the final whistle. The atmosphere was amazing every time.”
Despite the drama, Kanchelskis still enjoyed his time at Ibrox (Image credit: Getty Images)
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“Four guys from Chechnya weren’t happy that I’d asked for the payments when I was sacked,” explained Kanchelskis. “[They] approached me while I was eating in a café and informed me that I would be 'disabled for life' if I didn’t lower my demands.
“I told the police about it and luckily everything was sorted in the end.”
Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.
