Former Celtic winger Regi Blinker has admitted he “felt like a superstar” at the club and insisted it was ‘pure hatred’ when it came to the rivalry with Rangers.
The former Hoops star has been speaking to Algemeen Dagblad ahead of Celtic’s clash with Feyenoord in the Champions League on Tuesday, which meant a look back on his time at Celtic Park and, of course, the clashes with Rangers.
The Dutchman spent three seasons with Celtic after arriving from Sheffield Wednesday 1997, which naturally meant plenty of trips to Ibrox.
While still a fierce derby, to say the least, and demonstrated by the 15 fouls apiece and hostile atmosphere at Ibrox in Celtic’s recent 1-0 win over Michael Beale’s side, back in the 90’s it was a different matter altogether.
The Scottish giants’ hatred of each other was well established and often borne out on the pitch, with the Old Firm derby widely accepted as one of the fiercest derbies in world football.
That wasn’t the case in Blinker’s day, with him admitting it was ‘pure hatred’ between the two sides when they met.
“After Sheffield I went to Celtic, because Wim Jansen had become manager there,” he said.
“There in Glasgow, football was so alive, it was truly unimaginable. With all the trimmings, eh. Paparazzi on the street to spot players.
“The idolization of the players by the fans – and there are quite a few at Celtic – was unique. Yes, I felt like a superstar there sometimes.
“But you can’t understand anyone at Celtic Park. As a player you don’t know what you will experience when you come out of the tunnel.
“I played an Old Firm against Glasgow Rangers there and then you really encountered a hurricane of noise. The sheer hatred you feel from Rangers fans for wearing the wrong shirt. And the support of Celtic’s supporters, who demand that you get into it from the first to the last minute.”
