John Souttar described Rangers Old Firm victory yesterday afternoon as a defining moment built on character, aggression and standards, after a second-half performance that turned a potentially difficult and confidence shattering afternoon at Celtic Park firmly in the visitors favour.
Speaking after the 3–1 win, the Rangers defender admitted the side were not at their best before the break but stressed the response after half-time showed exactly what is required to win in Glasgow’s biggest fixture.
“It’s a big, big performance,” Souttar said.
“I thought in the first half we were a bit naïve at points.
“I thought we let them play their game more than bringing our game on them.”
That honesty was followed by a clear assessment of what changed.
“But in the second half we were really good,” he added.
“We were aggressive, we put them under pressure all the time and we were strong defensively.
“If you’re going to come here and get a result, that’s what you need to do.”
From a Rangers perspective, it was a textbook description of how the match was won.
Rangers upped the tempo, hunted second balls and forced Celtic backwards, with Souttar emphasising that it was a collective effort.
“To a man, we all did that in the second half,” he said.
Souttar acknowledged the significance of the turnaround, particularly given the youth within the squad and the demands of the occasion.
“We’re a young side,” he said.
“You’re coming here, it’s difficult conditions, and it can become a difficult game.
“But if you’re on a Rangers team and you’re going to beat Celtic here, you have to show what we did.”
That meant winning duels, pressing aggressively and playing on the front foot in what Souttar described as the minimum requirement.
“Win the second ball, be aggressive, be on the front foot - that’s the minimum you come here with,” he said.
“And thankfully we had the quality as well to score the goals we did.”
The defender was quick to point out that belief within the squad did not suddenly appear because of the result but that delivering on the biggest stage matters.
“It will give us belief,” Souttar said.
“But I think there was belief there already. It’s about showing us. It’s about doing it on the big stage.”
Crucially, his focus quickly shifted forward. Rangers return to league action on Tuesday for the home leg of a double header against Aberdeen and Souttar made it clear the victory only counts if it is backed up.
“If we want to be there in May, we need to make sure we back this up on Tuesday,” he said.
“You don’t get a rest here. You go again.”
As one of the more experienced figures in a young group, Souttar spoke about his role in helping others handle the intensity of the occasion.
“The atmosphere can be intimidating for some lads,” he said.
“But I don’t think they showed it today. Everyone stood up, everyone took the ball.”
He also praised the Rangers support, calling the post-match scenes “special,” but again stressing that this cannot be a one-off.
“It was a special moment,” he said.
“But let’s make sure there’s more of these in the months and years to come.”