Connor Goldson wants Rangers to use the passion of Parkhead against Celtic on Sunday.
The atmosphere generated by the Hoops faithful is renowned the world over having helped their team soar to famous wins against some of the game’s biggest names.
But Ibrox defender Goldson believes his side can turn the noise levels up on Neil Lennon’s team by frustrating the hosts this weekend.
Rangers had to deal with their own anxious legions letting rip as they allowed their bitter rivals to raid Ibrox for three points in the opening Old Firm battle of the campaign back in September, with the moans and groans growing with every missed chance and misplaced pass.
But Goldson believes his side can gain revenge by turning the derby din on the champions this weekend.
He said: “We’re all professional footballers, we’ve been in these atmospheres before, whether it is on a European stage or if it’s in an Old Firm away from home.
“It can work in your favour at the same time, if we go there and start well and put the game in our favour and can quiet the crowd.
“We know what it’s like at home, we lost there earlier in the season and it can get nervy when you have the majority of the fans on your back or demanding more.
“We have to play on that and we have to use that in our advantage and if we can quieten the crowd and start well early on then it can work in our favour.”
Steven Gerrard’s team dominated the last meeting of the Glasgow giants at Hampden earlier this month but watched on with stunned disbelief as Christopher Jullien’s controversial winner stole the Betfred Cup for Celtic.
To lose in such a heartbreaking manner was a body blow for Goldson, who admits he would rather have trudged out of the national stadium on the back of a drubbing.
He added: “The feeling after the game at Hampden was horrible, especially with it being a cup final. It was probably my worst day in football.
“Sometimes you think you’d rather come out of there having been battered and lost 3-0 or 4-0 rather than lose the way we did as it was heartbreaking knowing we controlled a whole game of football but did not get the rewards.
“We can use that pain as motivation, but we also need to use our performance and our levels on the day as a platform.
“We showed everyone, our fans, ourselves, that the game is not a mismatch and we are just as good as them.
“We know that we can outplay them at times, but we know that we are playing a good team and we have to perform to that level in every minute of the game to make sure that we come away with something.
“We had the belief before that game that we could go toe-to-toe with them. I think that we have improved this season and that probably in my first game there away last season – when we lost 1-0 – was the only time that we haven’t gone toe-to-toe with them.
“I think that every game has been tight. Obviously, we have won some and we’ve lost some, but I’ve never felt like we’ve been completely outmatched or outplayed in an Old Firm.”
