All singing, all dancing Barton must perform in heat of battle

● Former Celtic man Thompson recalls his disastrous Old Firm derby debut and says Rangers’ combustible midfielder will need to deal with the pressure as he tastes encounter for the first time

There will be several players on both sides experiencing the white-hot atmosphere of a Celtic v Rangers clash for the first time at Parkhead on Saturday but they will need to go some to have a more disastrous debut in the fixture than Alan Thompson.

Not only was the midfielder, bought from Aston Villa for £2.75 million in 2000, dismissed but he was also accused of cowardice by manager Martin O’neill, who was incandescent with rage after witnessing his side slump to a 5-1 defeat.

His case was not helped by the fact that the game was still in the balance when he was sent off for an injudicious challenge on Barry Ferguson.

It was a heartbreaking introduction to Ibrox for the genial Geordie, who was convinced his stay in Scotland was about to be almost as short as his participation in that pummelling.

He would go on, however, to experience the highs and lows of the Glasgow derbies for another seven seasons.

“They were 1-0 up but we made it 1-1, with Henrik Larssonscoringwithaheaderfrom one of my corners,” he said. “They scored straight after that to go 2-1 in front and then I was sent off.

“I remember sitting in the dressing room and hearing the Rangers fans in the main stand above me cheering… again and again and again.

“Then I was double-barrelled by the manager in the dressing room when he came in after the game.

“I remember he called me a coward which I disagreed with. That’s one thing I wasn’t, one thing I’m not.

“But it was heat-of-themoment stuff and that’s what happens on days like that.

“In his eyes I was a coward because of the red card – he thought I’d bottled it and didn’t want to be out there but that wasn’t the case.

“After that I remember going home and having a Chinese meal with my family and thinking: ‘My Celtic career could be over before it’s even started’.

“I thought: ‘I could be out the door here when I’ve only just come in’. But I got back in the team and the next game against them was at Celtic Park, we won 1-0 and I scored so I redeemed myself a little bit.”

As someone with firsthand experience of working with both Joey Barton (with Newcastle United) and Scott Brown (at Parkhead), Thompson is well placed to assess the collision course the combustible midfielders appear to be on ahead of Saturday’s encounter.

Barton, pictured, lit the light blue touchpaper during the summer when he claimed, during a radio interview, that Brown was not in the same league as him as a player and that he, Barton, would go on to become the best player in Scotland this season.

It’s a promise the 34-yearold’s performances have thus far been unable to keep and the combative Brown will be aiming to ensure that the former Manchester City maverick continues to underachieve 3 Former Old Firm stars Alan Thompson, right, and Ian Durrant square up ahead of Saturday’s Glasgow derby. this weekend. “I’m looking forward to watching it,” said Thompson. “I know them both well and have worked with them both. They are good footballers and I’m a fan of each of them.

“As for Saturday, I reckon it will be a case of whoever keeps it together the most will be the one who comes out on top.

“It’s a game Joey needs to perform in. He’s come up here all singing, all dancing and saying this, that and the other but he needs to back it up with good performances, especially in these big games.

“He’s maybe put some pressure on himself but he’s an experienced boy and has played a lot of games at the top level. He’ll know he’s put extra expectation on himself and he has to deal with it, it’s as simple as that.

“Joey’s very confident in his own ability. In the heat of the moment in the Old Firm, when the ball is flying about like a hot potato and some people don’t want to get involved and put their foot on it, Joey will go and get it and try and play.

“He’ll not shirk the responsibility. If he makes a mistake, he’ll go and get it again and try to pass it.”

The first 50-50 collision between the pair could be seismic but Thompson is just hoping that both participants keep the head and remain free from injury.

“I just hope it’s a fair one,” he said. “I saw the tackle by the Kilmarnock boy [Greg Taylor, sent off for a dangerous lunge] on Joey the other week and he’s lucky to be fit for this game.

“If his foot had been planted that night he’d have been in trouble. You just hope that [on Saturday] it’s a fair, strong tackle and nothing daft.”