Jean-Joel Perrier-Doumbe has been given the Bank of Scotland Premierleague lowdown by Brahim Hemdani, his fellow-countryman and Old Firm rival.

Jean-Joel Perrier-Doumbe has been given the Bank of Scotland Premierleague lowdown by Brahim Hemdani, his fellow-countryman and Old Firm rival.

Rangers' French-Algerian has also been his guide during a cultural tour of Perrier-Doumbe's new surroundings. Already the Celtic full back feels vindicated in a decision to cancel a trial spell at Bolton to sign a six-month loan deal with the defending champions he considers to be far superior to even their ancient rivals.

"I spent an afternoon with him, and he told me about the rivalry between Celtic and Rangers," he said. "He took me on a tour of Glasgow. It's nice to know I'm not alone but it is fair to say that all the other teams in the Scottish League are on a lower level."

A 19-point gap between the two leaves Celtic four games away from a swift and successful defence of the title. Perrier-Doumbe has arrived to offer experience cover for Lee Naylor, and with a decisive series of fixtures on the horizon at home and in Europe, the 28-year-old feels at home in his new surroundings, even though he has yet to make his competitive debut.

"I did not hesitate when Celtic offered me the chance of a two-day trial," he said. "Bolton had been in touch, and invited me to spend a few days with them, but the problem was I arrived there during a spell of bad weather, and I was not able to train at all. In an instant I decided I would not stay with them for another week, and keep Celtic waiting. I think I have made the right choice. I was impressed by the standard of Celtic's players.

"No matter what anyone says, Celtic are one of Europe's legendary clubs. They have incredible fans and wonderful training facilities. What more could I ask for? I want us to make sure of the title, as we are not quite there yet, and hope to settle in quickly."

If he impresses, Perrier-Doumbe could activate a two-year permanent contract at Parkhead. It is a world away from his previous struggles at Rennes, when two broken wrists, coupled with the acquisition of Mario Melchiot, conspired to leave him a fringe player for much of the season.

"I decided to leave Rennes because I was not playing in enough games," he said. "I broke my wrists just before the start of the season and took three months to recover. During that time, Rennes signed Mario Melchiot. I could not see myself spending another six months on the subs' bench and besides, I really wanted to try my luck playing abroad."

The man from Cameroon hopes to be reunited with a former team-mate in France, Yoann Gourcuff, who has joined AC Milan. "As far as he and I are concerned, the battle is already under way," said Perrier-Doumbe. "We have been sending each other a series of threatening text messages. We've got a big game against AC Milan, although they will start strong favourites, we won't be pushed around.

"Especially as Milan haven't been performing as well as last season. Besides, you can see from the fact that we beat Manchester United in the group stages that we are capable of causing a shock."

He has warmed to the physical nature of the Scottish game and is determined to demonstrate his capabilities. "I have signed for six months, so I will need to live up to the expectations placed on my shoulders," he told StarAfrica. "My style of play is suited to Scottish football, which is a game that favours defenders. We have far more freedom.

"Referees penalise fouls far less than they do in the French first division. In Scotland, even strikers get stuck into tackles - and in fact everybody piles in to their heart's content."

Perrier-Doumbe is relishing the prospect of his first Old Firm derby and has been left in no doubt about the extent of the rivalry. "There's the game against Rangers on March 11, and I have already come to appreciate just what it means to the supporters," he said.

"When I flew in, I took a taxi from the airport, and ended up with a driver who was a Rangers fan. The moment he learned that I had signed for Celtic, he refused to say another word for the rest of the journey."