Rangers boss Philippe Clement insists Sunday’s Old Firm derby with title rivals Celtic holds no fears… as he backs his players to step up in Ibrox clash

Rangers boss Philippe Clement insists he is feeling no pre-match nerves ahead of an Old Firm derby at Ibrox which is being billed as potentially pivotal in a neck-and-neck title race.

The Belgian tried to reject any notion the game could be decisive, but he is challenging his players to scale new heights against a Celtic team who have won both of the two previous derbies this season.

Asked if he is feeling any sense of nerves heading into the biggest match of his tenure so far, the 50-year-old said: ‘No, I love it. I’m not nervous, I’m excited about it, I’m looking forward to it. This is something you need to embrace, not be nervous about. These are great afternoons.’

Clement is confident that his players can reach ‘another level’ as Scottish football’s big two lock horns with just a point separating them at the top of the table.

Celtic currently lead the way, albeit Rangers have a game in hand to come away to Dundee next Wednesday.

Celtic have won both of the two previous Old Firm derbies against Rangers this season

‘I have a lot of confidence in my squad and I have a lot of confidence in our fans,’ said Clement. ‘So those are the challenging moments because you play against a good team who will do their best to beat you and there will be a lot of quality from both sides.

‘It’s the only way also to grow as a player, to have challenges, to have tough games to play against good opponents.

‘If you make the next steps into that, you go to another level — and that’s what I want to do with this squad, with this club and with the squad.

‘Next season, to become better and to raise the level time after time with a lot of success and maybe some disappointments along the way, because that’s also the way to success — to learn lessons out of that.

‘But I prefer to have success on Sunday, let’s be clear about that.’

In terms of team selection, Clement will make a late call on the fitness of Ridvan Yilmaz. Abdallah Sima is fit and available, but unlikely to play 90 minutes.