MOI'S OWN STORY

Elyounoussi still trembles at thoughts of Betfred glory

- BY RYAN MCDONALD

MO ELYOUNOUSSI isn't the type who gets nervous before powder keg games.

But the ice-cool Norwegian suddenly started shaking before going to war at Hampden.

It was a sensation the £16million winger had rarely experienced in his career.

On loan from Southampton, Elyounoussi was only moments from stepping into the fire of his first Glasgow derby. Then the penny dropped. It wasn't jitters.

It was Hampden itself rocking to its core with thunderous noise from the stands as Glasgow's big two collided in the 2019 Premier Sports Cup Final.

In an exclusive interview with Record Sport, Elyounoussi said: “I remember before the game suddenly my legs started shaking. I thought, ‘Wow, I haven't been nervous for a long time.

“I realised it wasn't me being nervous, it was just that the whole stadium was shaking. That was the first time I experienced that. Full Hampden Park, everybody jumping up and down, even the pitch was shaking.

“I thought it was me being nervous but it was actually the stadium going nuts. That was a great experience.”

The bitter rivals will lock horns again at the National Stadium in a few weeks for a place in the League Cup Final.

And for the sake of Brendan Rodgers’ Class of 2025, Elyounoussi just hopes it’s a bit more straightforward than his own Hampden experience.

Ten-man Celtic somehow ended a frantic afternoon with their hands on the trophy thanks to a goalkeeping masterclass from Fraser Forster.