It's been the date circled in the diary ever since he stepped off the plane and now Nico Raskin is determined to prove he can be Rangers’ man for the big occasion.
They don’t come much bigger than a Hampden head-to-head between the Old Firm but that’s exactly how Gers’ new Belgian boy likes it. At his previous club Standard Liege, the first games the 21-year-old would look for when the fixture lists came out where the derby clashes with domestic giants Anderlecht and Walloon foes Charleroi.
He didn’t do too badly either when the games came around either. In five clashes with fellow French speakers Charleroi he did more than talk a good game as he helped his side to three wins, including a 2-1 triumph on his derby debut in April 2020 where he netted the clincher. There were fireworks too when he slotted home during a powderkeg clash with Anderlecht last October which had to be abandoned with Liege 3-1 up as fans from the Brussels outfit hurled flares and pyro onto the pitch.
Raskin is bracing himself for another explosive afternoon next Sunday as his new side square off against Celtic in the Viaplay Cup final - and he can’t wait. The midfield ace said: “Everybody is talking about the cup final. I’m really excited and I can’t wait to be there to feel the atmosphere of our fans and show on the pitch that we are better.
"I scored in the two derbies that we played back home. I'm used to playing in those kind of games with a lot of pressure, a lot of tension in the game. I love it.
"In fact, I love playing in games like next week more than games like Saturday’s at Livingston. All football players like to play in big games and next Sunday is a VERY big game, so I'm looking forward to it.”
In his final few months with Standard, Raskin came under the wing of former Celtic boss Ronny Deila. There was a glint of mischief in his eye when he jokingly suggested the Norwegian would be cheering him on against his old Parkhead paymasters this weekend.
But Raskin is serious about his intentions in Glasgow and insists there’s much more to come after producing two encouraging displays in his first two starts for Michael Beale’s team. “I’ve not heard from Ronny but he'll maybe send me a text,” he grinned. "But you know, he's busy with something else now.
"Ronny and I have a good relationship. He helped me a lot to grow. Yeah he's sent me some texts before, we talked a bit. We'd already talked a bit before I left but he's on the other side!
“We haven’t spoken about Sunday but I'm sure he'll want me to win! But yeah I feel good. The boys have helped me a lot.
"We still have some connections to make and to get better. Like sometimes I want to play forward because I'm used to playing forward. We just need to know each other better.
"But I've only been here for three weeks and as time goes on we'll get better and better. Just give me one month and I'll be totally fit physically. When you arrive into a team, you need time to know the principles of the team but hopefully I can grow and be a better player than I'm showing now.”
It might have been easy to overlook Raskin in his first couple of appearances in a blue shirt. His debut involved an eight minute cameo late on against Ross County but the Gers faithful spent most of the closing stages watching through the cracks in their fingers as their nervy team just about dodged a surprise slip-up against the Staggies.
Then came a start in the controversial Scottish Cup clash with Partick Thistle that was overshadowed by the Malik Tillman goal drama and Beale’s decision to give the Jags a walk-in equaliser. But on a relatively stress-free afternoon in West Lothian, Raskin’s talents stood out as he looked to push Rangers forward every time he got on the ball.
He looked at home on the plastic pitch as Michael Beale’s team claimed a 3-0 win but admitted he was stunned to see the Gers away support wrapping round three sides of the Tony Macaroni Arena. “The pitch was fine,” he said. “In Belgium as a young boy, we were used to training on the astro.
“But it was something special because we felt at home with more fans than Livingston. It's the first time I've played away but it feels like home, so it was very nice.
"I've never experienced an away support like that We showed personality and character but playing quick and getting connection with the ball (was also important).
"We had to get them to move a lot, to create more space. It would have been easier if we'd scored earlier in the game but I think we did very good.
“We started OK, we should maybe have scored some more in the first half but the second half was very good. We attacked a lot, we created chances, we scored two goals so I think we did a good job.
“It was very nice to play in the second half because we had more control and played better with each other. It was very enjoyable. We’re happy with the clean sheet too, we get confidence as we’re very safe in behind.
“I’m finding it good. The boys have been very good with me. They help me a lot so I’m very happy. I’m building those relationships on the pitch but also outside the pitch and on the training ground.
“I’ve only been here two or three weeks so I need to continue talking with the boys and the more time goes, the more the connection with the boys will become even better.”
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