Nicolas Raskin insists Celtic Hampden celebrations had to be watched and stored for future Rangers reference

It wasn’t easy or pleasant but Nico Raskin watched all the same.

The Rangers new boy stood on the Hampden turf a couple weeks back and took it all in as Celtic lapped up their Viaplay Cup triumph. Not because he didn’t share the deep disappointment of the Ibrox faithful who had leapt from their seats and darted for the exits the second the full-time whistle blew. But because he wants to have those painful memories to hand whenever things get tough in the next few weeks. The young Belgian knows he’s going to have to dig deep to help drag Rangers back to the top.

But having sampled just how bitter the taste of defeat is in Glasgow, he’s determined to ensure he never has to go through the experience again. Raskin said: “When they celebrated with the fans, when they were making the noise, you cannot hide from this. You are there so you listen, you watch and it’s painful for everybody. For us, for our families and for the fans. But it’s going to give us power for the next time we’re going to play the cup final.

“I was so sad after the final because you watch the other team celebrating and it gives you a bad feeling. But at the same time it gives you the power to get back, then next time remember what happened and give more so we don’t feel the same feeling after the game.”

Surprisingly left on the bench by gaffer Michael Beale, Raskin didn’t have the time needed to turn the situation around when he was finally thrown on with 25 minutes left and Gers trailing Ange Postecoglou’s team 2-1. The consensus among the Ibrox support was the boss had called it wrong with his team selection, an argument given some weight by Raskin’s increasingly influential displays in the two games since.

But there were no complaints from the January