Vanja Dragojevic Prepares for Old Firm Derby with Rangers

Vanja Dragojevic has felt the heat of Belgrade’s Eternal Derby. Now he is counting down to what he has been told is something even bigger.

The 20-year-old Rangers midfielder is already eyeing next month’s Premier Sports Cup quarter-final against Celtic at Ibrox, a first taste of the Old Firm that teammates and compatriots have warned him is on another level.

“Everyone said this is maybe the biggest derby on earth,” Dragojevic explained, still riding the high of his first Rangers goal in Sunday’s League Cup win over St Mirren. That strike booked the last-eight showdown with Celtic. “And maybe the craziest one – in a positive way. So I'm really happy that I have the privilege to be part of it and maybe play in it.”

He knows all about ferocious rivalry. Raised in the cauldron of Partizan v Red Star, Dragojevic has already stepped into three or four Belgrade derbies, nights when football becomes only one part of a far bigger story.

“It was really hard and fired up,” he said of those Serbian clashes. “In Serbia, it's not just about the football. It's really about much more than this. But I like this.”

The Old Firm, though, has its own mythology, and the young midfielder has been briefed on what awaits. For now, he insists, the calendar will keep his feet on the ground.

“It's too far away to think about because we have a game on Thursday, we will focus on that,” he stressed. The derby can wait; the next fixture cannot.

What has helped him settle is everything around the pitch. Dragojevic speaks with genuine warmth about his new surroundings, sounding less like a recent arrival and more like someone who has been in Glasgow for years.

“I enjoy it here. This is a great country, with great people,” he said. “I'm surprised how warm the people are here. When I came to the club it was so easy to adapt. Everyone in the city is so nice. I'm feeling really happy here.”

That comfort off the field is beginning to show on it. The goal against St Mirren felt like a small marker laid down, a sign that he is not just passing through but intent on leaving a mark.

“I'm looking forward to doing everything I can for this club,” he added.

Next month, if selected, that “everything” could include stepping into the noise and fury of his first Old Firm derby. For a player forged in Belgrade’s fire, Glasgow now offers a new stage and a new storm to walk into.