Vanja Dragojevic Prepares for Glasgow's Intense Old Firm Derby

Vanja Dragojevic has already felt the heat of one of world football’s great grudge matches. Now he is counting down to another.

The 20-year-old midfielder grew up in the fire of Belgrade’s ‘Eternal Derby’ with Partizan, a fixture that splits a city and defines careers. Yet since arriving in Glasgow, he has been repeatedly told there is an even wilder stage waiting for him.

The Old Firm

Next month, Rangers will host Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-finals, a tie sealed by Dragojevic’s first goal for the club in Sunday’s League Cup win over St Mirren. The ball hit the net, Ibrox roared, and a path to his first taste of the Glasgow derby opened up.

“We’re really happy that [the Celtic cup tie] will happen,” Dragojevic said, still fresh from that breakthrough strike.

He refused to get carried away, though. Rangers have a game on Thursday and, for now, that comes first. The derby can wait in the background, growing larger with every passing day.

“It’s too far away to think about because we have a game on Thursday, we will focus on that,” he explained. “But when I spoke with lots of players before I came here, everyone said this is maybe the biggest derby on earth. And maybe the craziest one – in a positive way. So I’m really happy that I have the privilege to be part of it and maybe play in it.”

This is not a youngster easily spooked by hostile stands. Dragojevic has already stepped into the cauldron of three or four Belgrade derbies, where the noise never really stops and the rivalry spills far beyond the white lines.

“I played in three or four Belgrade derbies. It was really hard and fired up,” he said. “In Serbia, it’s not just about the football. It’s really about much more than this. But I like this. I’m really happy here and I want to have the privilege to play in this one.”

That appetite for intensity has helped him settle quickly in Scotland. Off the pitch, the adjustment has been smoother than he expected.

“I enjoy it here. This is a great country, with great people,” he said. “I’m surprised how warm the people are here. When I came to the club it was so easy to adapt. Everyone in the city is so nice. I’m feeling really happy here. I’m looking forward to doing everything I can for this club.”

From Belgrade’s inferno to Glasgow’s fault line, Dragojevic knows exactly what kind of storm he is walking into. Now it’s up to him to make sure he’s on the pitch when Rangers and Celtic light the fuse.