‘I wouldn't be able to sleep' – Celtic icon's shock admission as he insists defeat to Rangers WOULD take away from title

Scottish Sun

30-04-2025

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IT'S been a strange conundrum for Celtic - they've dominated Scottish football this season but struggled in the Old Firm.
Sunday sees Rangers host the newly-crowned four-in-a-row champions in the final meeting of the sides this term.
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Barry Ferguson has struggled as Rangers interim but led Gers to a second straight win over Celtic last month
Credit: PA
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Brendan Rodgers has never lost three Old Firm matches in a row
Credit: Kenny Ramsay
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Celtic hero Peter Grant says that losing the Old Firm would take away from the title victory
Credit: Alamy
Celtic defender Cameron Carter-Vickers insisted at the weekend that Celts have already shown they're better than Gers this season regardless of what happens on Sunday, but that Brendan Rodgers' men are still desperate to win.
With a potential Treble to come in the Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen next month, you wouldn't think that the clash at Ibrox would be the most consequential Old Firm of all time.
But Celtic hero Peter Grant revealed to Go Radio that defeat on Sunday would hurt him all the way to next season.
Grant said: "Let me tell you this, I wouldn't be able to sleep right through the summer if you lose that one, it is as [big] as that.
"It is the last one of the season, the last thing you want to be going into any break is after losing a Celtic - Rangers match, for either team, I don't care who you are.
"That's how important it is to Celtic.
"Celtic have not played particularly well in the last three, even though we won the final.
"I didn't think we played particularly well, Rangers did, then the next two we haven't played well and lost convincingly.
"It doesn't matter if you have won the league or not, you have to try and win this game and please believe me, it will be gut-wrenching if you don't."
And Grant even feels that losing a third straight Old Firm would take some of the gloss off the Hoops' title win.
Moment Celtic players and fans celebrate as Hoops clinch fourth successive title
He continued: "Absolutely [losing would take away from winning the league], what are you going to hear from Rangers fans all the time?
"The bottom line is you want to make sure you beat your rivals and there is not a better feeling when you do that.
"I can guarantee you one of the targets would be to beat Rangers, 100%.
"If I was sitting in that dressing room that would be my biggest target at this moment in time.
"Dead-rubbers, there is no such thing, that word never even comes into the vocabulary.
"You have to go out and prove it all the time, that is what winners do.
"Going into this game, you have to win it."
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