As reported by The Daily Mail, former Rangers player and manager Stuart McCall has warned first team stars at Ibrox they must not get caught up in the hype surrounding Sunday's massive clash with Celtic.

What's the story?

The Light Blues know that a win against the Hoops this weekend will spark a full-blown Scottish Premiership title race, closing the gap on the reigning champions to just three points.

However, the scale of the task is enormous, especially when you consider they have never won against their rivals since Brendan Rodgers arrived in Glasgow.

Now a man with extensive experience of the fixture has offered some advice to his former side.

As quoted by The Daily Mail, Stuart McCall said:

There is no doubt Rangers will take encouragement from their last couple of performances against Celtic. They also have a stronger squad now than when they played them in December. But my advice to them would be to play the game and keep their mouths shut. There are still a few younger guys in there just getting to know what it's all about. They won't have played in this type of game.

So my advice to them would be: "Let your football do the talking. Don't get caught up in hype." I know they have to do interviews. But put the senior men forward and don't set yourself up for a fall.

The Gers have every right to be confident heading into the encounter, but manager Graeme Murty must tap into an underdog spirit that has served them well in his two derbies in charge over the last year.

Siege mentality

Murty's two matches against Celtic must be the blueprint for their approach to Sunday's encounter at Ibrox, even if they'll face natural pressure from their home supporters.

The interim Ibrox boss has escaped Celtic Park with a draw twice, frustrating Brendan Rodgers' outfit with dogged and determined performances. In both matches they were massive underdogs.

It's that mentality that will give them a path to victory this weekend and even though they've won their last six matches, McCall is right to warn of over-confidence in the build-up to the encounter.

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