Former Celtic defender Erik Sviatchenko once brought in the New Year on the back of a 2-1 win at Ibrox – “one of the best New Year evening’s I’ve had.”

If the Danish defender is on the winning team against Rangers next month it will set off bells of a very different kind for Steven Gerrard’s side.


Should Rangers prevail over Luxembourg minnows Progres Niederkorn, the team who embarrassed Pedro Caixinha in 2017, they will face Danish side FC Midtjylland in the third qualification round of the Europa League, with Sviatchenko a familiar face in the Scandinavian’s backline.

And if a return to Glasgow is on the cards, the 27-year-old is keen to leave his calling card as a memento for his old side across the city.


Sviatchenko’s final act in a Celtic shirt was to tear his knee ligaments in Trondheim as Celtic played Rosenborg in a UEFA Champions League qualifier; by the time he had regained his fitness Dedryck Boyata had forced his way back into Brendan Rodgers’ first-team.

As such there has always been a sense on Sviatchenko’s part that he never got to show his appreciation of the Celtic support, which he still enjoys an affectionate relationship with on social media. 


“It would be an extra plus for me to go with Midtjylland into the group stage of the Europa League having beaten Rangers along the way,” he said.

“I would dedicate that to all the Celtic fans because I am sure that they would enjoy it!

"I did not have the chance to say my goodbyes to them properly so I am sure they would happily accept that as my gift.


“But all joking aside, my focus is with my team and getting us into the group stage of the Europa League. That was our ambition at the start of the summer and it is as important to us to get there as it was when I was with Celtic and we wanted to make it into the group stage of the Champions League every season.”


The defender, however, has maintained that the Rangers side he could be gearing up to face is one that is far stronger than when he left Glasgow for his homeland 18 months ago.

Sviatchenko believes the tie is 50-50, but the defender has highlighted the danger he believes Alfredo Morelos presents to the Danes.


Morelos has struggled with a disciplinary record that has been criticised by his own manager. Sviatchenko, however, will resist the mind games if his path crosses with the forward.


“I am a fairly straight player,” he said. “I know all about his temper.

"It has become his achilles heel. But I think when you look at the money people have said that he is worth and the amount of goals that he has scored for Rangers then you know that he is also a very good player.


“I am not really one for trying to get people to react on the pitch. I am just about focusing on my own game and giving everything I can for my own team.  


“Rangers are a better team now than the Rangers team I left. They have a very good manager in Steven Gerrard but they definitely look stronger all over the park. I still think that there is a gap between them and Celtic but I don’t see it as wide as what it was when I left Glasgow.”


Sviatchenko has mixed memories of his time playing against Rangers; he scored at Hampden against the Ibrox side in his first experience of the derby but ended up on the losing side.

It was a Scottish Cup result that ultimately cost Ronny Deila his job but his memories of Ibrox are good.


“Of the best New Year evening’s I had was after we have won 2-1 at Ibrox,” he smiled.

“I made a mistake that cost us our goal when Kenny Miller scored early on in the match but then in the 87th minute I managed to atone for that with an intervention that made sure we won the game. 


“I think they will beat Progres this time and I am excited at going back to Ibrox. At Midtjylland we would not always be used to playing in front of 50,000 people – our stadium holds around 12,000 – but I will be sure to let everyone know what to expect at Ibrox.

"We have the first leg here in Denmark and that can be so important.”