Nicolas Raskin puts focus on Rangers cup final countdown as he looks to prove 'we are better' than Celtic

It's been the date circled in the diary ever since he stepped off the plane and now Nico Raskin is determined to prove he can be Rangers’ man for the big occasion.

They don’t come much bigger than a Hampden head-to-head between the Old Firm but that’s exactly how Gers’ new Belgian boy likes it. At his previous club Standard Liege, the first games the 21-year-old would look for when the fixture lists came out where the derby clashes with domestic giants Anderlecht and Walloon foes Charleroi.

He didn’t do too badly either when the games came around either. In five clashes with fellow French speakers Charleroi he did more than talk a good game as he helped his side to three wins, including a 2-1 triumph on his derby debut in April 2020 where he netted the clincher. There were fireworks too when he slotted home during a powderkeg clash with Anderlecht last October which had to be abandoned with Liege 3-1 up as fans from the Brussels outfit hurled flares and pyro onto the pitch.

Raskin is bracing himself for another explosive afternoon next Sunday as his new side square off against Celtic in the Viaplay Cup final - and he can’t wait. The midfield ace said: “Everybody is talking about the cup final. I’m really excited and I can’t wait to be there to feel the atmosphere of our fans and show on the pitch that we are better.

"I scored in the two derbies that we played back home. I'm used to playing in those kind of games with a lot of pressure, a lot of tension in the game. I love it.

"In fact, I love playing in games like next week more than games like Saturday’s at Livingston. All football players like to play in big games and next Sunday is a VERY big game, so I'm looking forward to it.”

In his final few months with Standard,