Losing Old Firm war was slap in the face

Apr 27 2008

DAVID WEIR reckons he needed to taste Old Firm defeat for the first time before he truly understood the world's biggest rivalry.

The Rangers stopper had won all four derbies since arriving at the club last January, every one a clean sheet.

But he admits the 2-1 reverse at Parkhead 11 days ago was a huge eye-opener for him.

Weir said: "You definitely feel the tension before the game - it's massive. And maybe this sounds a bit perverse but having won the first four Old Firm games I played in it's maybe not until you lose one that you realise how big and important it is.

"You need a slap to realise it.

"Now it's up to us to use that. Not that you ever need an incentive to win but we need to use the hurt we felt as a positive."