He used to live for days like this. As far as Richard Gough was concerned, it was here - and only here - where Rangers players could really prove they deserved to wear the shirt.
Behind enemy lines and in the eye of an onslaught. Gough always believed derby day at Celtic provided the ultimate test of his team mate’s credentials. Then again, it’s been 25 years since Gough last led a Rangers team off the bus outside Parkhead’s front doors. And he’s the first to admit how much times have changed.
On Saturday, Gough will drag himself out of bed in the middle of the night at his California home to watch the latest instalment of the rivalry which was once plugged deep into his veins. And he’s not ashamed to admit, he’ll be fearing the worst. The stats don’t lie either. Since the turn of the century - spanning a total of 40 visits to their nearest and dearest - the Ibrox side have clocked up a paltry six victories. And Gough’s old boss Walter Smith was responsible for three of them.
With a rueful shake of the head, Gough says: “When all is said and done, it all comes down to the quality of players. Just think back to some of the teams that Walter took there, even in his second spell when we probably got one our last victories there.
"Obviously, Steven Gerrard got a win there when Nikola Katic scored. And then he won again the following season with two goals from Connor Goldson. That’s right, when there was no one there!”
He’s laughing. But only just. Gough’s memories of that Covid-affected win feel almost bitter sweet, he preferred his derby days to a great deal less sanitised.
He goes on: “I look back to my last games there in 1998 which is coming on 25 years ago now. I think my last game at Parkhead was in April ’98 when we won a semi final there, Coisty scored after Albertz had knocked one across for him and we beat them 2-1.
“We then beat them the following week at Ibrox when Jonas Thern got the goal. And that’s it in a nutshell, those two players - Thern and Coisty - typified the quality in our team. Coisty scored about 25 goals against them in total! So it was all about the quality of players we had in that period under Walter. That’s what it’s about.
“We used to go over there and I remember saying to the guys, ‘The referee is under as much pressure as we are - so let’s keep 11 players on the pitch!’
"But we had good characters. We loved going there and we didn’t want to lose, and that’s the way it’s been for Celtic over the last while, they’ve just had better players than we’ve had.
"There’s no secret to football a lot of the time. If you get a good group of players together and they’re all working hard for each other, you’ll come out on top more often than not.”
For current day boss Michael Beale, Saturday’s short trip across the Clyde also offers a glimpse into the future. Gough believes the boss will know a great deal more about the character of those inside his own dressing room before he leaves Celtic Park later in the afternoon.
The nine-in-row skipper continued: “I used to warm up with Coisty right in front of the old Jungle. We used to say to each other, ‘We’re not losing here by the way! We’re not f****** losing today!’
“That’s the attitude that’s required and the challenge for Michael is to bring that back. Walter’s message was always simple, a bit like my own. ‘Be cool, be calm and be composed. Want the ball, get on the ball, quieten the crowd’.
"The difference was, we had players who could do that! We had Gascoignes and Laudrups! But I also used to tell the defenders, ‘In the first 10-15 minutes, we keep it nice and tight. Make sure we don’t give them any momentum because if the crowd gets up then we’re going to be in trouble!’.
"We used to do that a lot. Go there and nick a wee 1-0 or 2-0 win. It was a good habit to get into. When you go to Parkhead that’s when you find out a lot about yourself and find out a lot about the players around you. Because it’s a hard, hard place to go to. I used to love it because it was the hardest place of all.
“I remember moving to Everton and I did some media interviews a couple of days before my first Merseyside derby. They were like, ‘Oh Goughie, you’re playing against Fowler and Owen.
"These guys are 22 and you’re f****** 38! How are you going to handle it?’. I said, ‘Yeah, I’m really looking forward to it. But, guys, I’ve played something like 45 Old Firm games. I’m sure I’ll be OK!’
“We went to Anfield and won 1-0. It was the first time we had won there for 25 years but that’s the mentality you get from playing for Rangers at Parkhead. I loved it because I knew we would have to defend with our lives.
"I knew we were going to have to play really, really well to get a result. So I’d look around at my team mates and I’d say to them, ‘This is where we are judged. We’re not judged at Kilmarnock or away to Falkirk.
"This is where it matters. If you can perform here, you’re a proper Rangers player!’. I can only speak for myself and the players that I played with and we had a pretty good record there.
"I got turned over there a few times as well. I can remember winning 5-1 in 1988 at Ibrox and then we went there a couple of months later, scored first and got beat 3-1. It’s like, ‘What happened there?’
“So they are crazy games but games that, as a football player, you just loved to play in. Well, I did anyway. You knew you were going to get a hard time going there.
"I always remember Celtic supporters saying to me, after a few years, ‘We used to give you a hard time but remember Goughie, we only give good players a hard time!’. It was like a back-handed compliment I suppose!”
