RANGERS defender Darren McGregor today admitted he knows that snuffing out the threat posed by Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths won't be child's play.
Because the centre half played in the same boys' club as the lethal predator growing up - and remembers how he banged in 100 goals one season. But the 28-year-old reckons his in-depth knowledge of the Hoops front man will help him in the League Cup semi-final at Hampden on Sunday. McGregor said: "I know wee Sparky (Griffiths) quite well. He was a few years below me at Leith Athletic. He's always been difficult to play against and quick.
"He was a few years younger than me. I always remember he scored 100 goals in one season for the Under-12s. That's when I started to think he had a bit of potential! "I must have been 15 or 16, a few years above him. I think he left not long after that. He's obviously kicked on from there and done really well.
"I rate him. I think he's got everything you look for in a forward. He's difficult to play against, he plays on the shoulder, he's quick and he has a good shot."
He added: "If they bring John Guidetti in he's a handful too so it's difficult to choose who you want to play against.
"But regardless of who they go for they've got strength in depth all over the team so we know what to expect. This week we'll do a bit of analysis on them. But we already know a lot." McGregor and his Rangers team mates haven't enjoyed an ideal build-up to the Celtic game after their SPFL Championship games against Hearts at home and Cowdenbeath away were abandoned and postponed respectively. When they take to the field at the National Stadium this weekend it will be the first time in over three weeks they have played in a competitive fixture. However, the former Cowdenbeath and St. Mirren man is confident that his side can still upset the odds and pull off a major upset against their city rivals. He said: "Cup games are cup games. Form goes out the window. Look at Celtic from a neutral point of view - and some Rangers fans might say this too - there's no debate who'll win the game.
"They've got the stronger team, they've got the better form. But that's the great thing about cup games, you see it the world over.
"The underdog has always got a chance. I do believe, yes, they have a better squad than us and, yes, they're in better form than us. "But come February 1 anything can happen. If they drop their guard and we're on our guard then watch out."
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