Graeme Souness "completely bottled" declaring his backing for Rangers or Liverpool when the pair collide in the Champions League.
The 69-year-old is a legend at both Anfield and Ibrox and confessed his loyalties are being severely tested after Thursday's group stage draw threw up a tie for the ages. The clubs have never met in European competition and the prospect of a historic double header is being eagerly anticipated in Glasgow and on Merseyside.
But Souness, who played for and managed both teams in trophy-laden eras in the 1980s and 1990s, simply couldn't choose between the two when asked who he was backing. Instead, the former midfielder and now Sky Sports pundit opted for a seat on the fence - declaring both matches would end in a draw and the two sides would progress to the knockout stage. Souness told talkSPORT: "It's still fresh going into the draw how well Rangers did the other night in managing to get through. I thought it would be a step too far for them - 2-2 at home is not a great result when you have to go back and play the second.
"I'm absolutely delighted, it was a tremendous performance. At that point, I'm saying 'glad to be there', because it's never going to be easy, you know it's going to be a big one. They've gone and drawn, arguably... well, all the English teams are top teams, it's a super difficult game for them when they play Liverpool but they knew what was coming their way.
"You're putting me on the spot there, it's a really difficult one and I'm going to bottle it completely and say it'll be two draws and both will go through! You've always got a chance but it's where Rangers have come from in the last 10 years. The level they were playing at years ago and now they're playing in the big league, the biggest league. It doesn't get any higher.
"It's an enormous step, but what you have to say about Rangers is that in the last year - beating Dortmund and Leipzig - they're capable of digging results out. It's just great to be there, the profile's back. It's not just great for the great Glasgow Rangers, it's great for Scottish football."
With Celtic also booking their place in the groups - including a meeting with holders Real Madrid - Souness insists having two teams back on the biggest stage is great for the profile of Scottish football.
He continued: "It's fantastic, Glasgow Rangers and Glasgow Celtic are enormous football clubs. If you were starting with a clean piece of paper and everyone had the same funding, Rangers and Celtic would be up there for the Premier League. Their fanbase is enormous, it's fanatical. Recent history has been unkind to them.
"I had a season ticket for several years at Bournemouth. 11,000 people and they're getting circa £100million from the Premier League. Rangers and Celtic are getting four, five or six and it's peanuts by comparison. These are two genuine giants of the game at a world level."
