If there is such a thing as a 'healthy hatred' in football, then Darren O'Dea would like to see a hyping up of the hype ahead of the Scottish League Cup semi-final between Celtic and Rangers early in the new year.

For the general sanity of the country, the two Old Firm rivals were mercifully kept apart in the draw for the fourth round of the William Hill Scottish Cup, which took place in the bowels of Hampden Park yesterday.

O'Dea, the former Celtic defender, has had his eyes opened by a stint with Metalurh Donetsk in troubled Ukraine and finally negotiated his way out of his contract as the unrest in the country escalated into warfare. Back in Scotland, meanwhile, the build up to the first Old Firm match in almost three years is already roaring, after the Glasgow clubs were paired at the weekend in the League Cup, and O'Dea believes it is an opportunity which has to be embraced and savoured yet played out and developed with respect and a sense of perspective.

"The hatred, if you want to call it that, should stay within football and between rivals," said the Dubliner. "You should only hate people because they are rivals and it should have no bearing on other things like religion or anything else. If that is the case then it becomes pathetic; it then becomes stupid. Football is a sport and when you do experience other things, like in Ukraine, it does open your eyes.

"To be fair to the fans of both clubs, it is very much a minority who ruin it for the other people. This hatred is always going to be there but as long as it is managed in the right way then it could be a good thing for Scottish football.

"I hope everyone is hyped up because that is what Scottish football needs. It's a bit dull just now if we are being honest. I think we need it to be built-up and to hit fever pitch because anyone outside of Scotland doesn't talk about anyone other than Rangers or Celtic. They are the two biggest clubs by a country mile and I hope people embrace this game and it is built up in the right way.

"You don't want the stupidity that comes with it. People should enjoy the fact that the Old Firm are playing each other rather than worrying about the other issues that might come from this game."

When Rangers were the seventh team drawn out of the pot yesterday, the collective intake of breath from those present in the room just about sooked Campbell Ogilvie's SFA tie off as they anticipated the emergence of Celtic from the guddle. Just as most folk began turning blue, the subsequent exhaling when Kilmarnock was unearthed blew the aforementioned neck decoration back into a neatly appointed Windsor.

Another meeting would have been too much to bear, surely. We will get the one in three months' time out of the way first. "This will be his [Ronny Deila's] biggest game," insisted the 27-year-old O'Dea of the impact of the match on the Celtic manager.

"I remember coming into Celtic when I was 15. Tommy Burns said you will only get judged on Rangers games. Everyone is desperate for the game. It is no secret that Scottish football has taken a bit of a hit in the last few years. I consider myself nearly half-Scottish and it has been tough to watch. I think it is the best thing and the country needs it."

Even the aforementioned Ogilvie, the president of the Scottish Football Association, was talking up this titanic tussle. "There has been a lot of comment on the game, some of it negative, but I think we should focus on the positives," he said. "At a time like this, with Scottish football looking for new sponsorships, it raises the profile of football in the country."

With Rangers hosting Kilmarnock in the Scottish Cup later this month, Celtic were paired with SPFL Championship leaders Hearts for the second year in a row. St Johnstone, the holders, will begin their defence at home to Ross County, while Dundee face Aberdeen and Motherwell take on Dundee United.

Partick Thistle versus Hamilton was another all-Premiership tie out of the hat, while Highland league outfit, Brora Rangers, face a decent hike down to Dumfries to face Queen of the South.