Don't let O'Neill Rohl back the years

New boss Danny can't be fooled by old Martin.. Celts gaffer might be 73 but he'll have a plan for Hampden and it's up to Gers to stop it

- BARRY FERGUSON

I'LL be at Hampden on Sunday afternoon and there's a part of me wishing | was taking my boots there with me.

Because the sight of Martin O'Neill walking back into Celtic’s dugout is going to bring a lot of old memories rushing back to the days when I was out there playing against his side the first time around.

It's mental, isn't it? Here we all are 20 years later and he’s right back where it started. And isn't that why we can't get enough of Scottish football?

The English will tell you that the quality isn’t always great. They'll look down their noses and say our game isn't a patch on the Premier League.

But they can shove that borefest where the sun don't shine.

When it comes to sheer drama, passion and incredible story lines, they dont even get close.

Just look at what's been going on up here over the last six months or so.

First, out of the blue, I get the call to take interim charge of my old club and fulfil a lifelong ambition. Not even I saw that one coming.

Then Russell Martin gets the job as Rangers manager and loses it after 122 days. In between times Hearts have stormed to the top of the table.

Celtic respond by parting company Brendan Rodgers after winning 11 trophies out of 13. Dermot Desmond has his say and winds the clock back to the turn of the century by throwing his tracksuit jacket at O'Neill.

Honestly, you just couldn't make any of this stuff up and I'm already counting down the hours until Sunday at 2pm when the Old Firm go head-to-head for a place in the first cup final this season.

How can anyone not love the mayhem of it all?

The one thing Id warn Rangers boss Danny Rohl right away is not to underestimate the man standing in the other technical area. Not for a moment that I think he will.