RANGERS goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin has been speaking ahead of Saturday’s Old Firm clash at Parkhead.

Here is everything he had to say to the Rangers Review and various other media outlets.

How much are you looking forward to the game and how good has it been to have a prolonged run of games between the sticks?

Yeah, it’s a huge game tomorrow. We’re very excited about the prospect of the game. The squad are all looking forward to it. We know it’s going to be another big test for us. We’re in a good place as a team, with what we’ve achieved so far this season. We’ve been tested already, especially in those European games that we’ve come through very well so, as a squad, we’re really looking forward to the game. For myself personally, of course, it’s great to be getting those run-of-games in the team. I’m enjoying that and trying to build week on week on my own performances and add value to the team. For myself and the rest of the squad, we’re really looking forward to going there tomorrow and getting the result we want.

How important is it not to allow a five-point gap to open up?

We look at every game as being very important and as a must-win. These league campaigns are always going to be close-run. We’ve seen it over the last couple of seasons that the Old Firm games can play a big part in that final placing, they can have a big say in what happens in the league. We know it’s early days in the season but they’re always important. Of course, we don’t want to allow any sort of gap to open and more than that we don’t want to go into any game and come away with less than the three points. Regardless of that, we’re going into the game to go there and win.

Rangers Review:

How would you compare Celtic this season to last season?

We’ve looked at their team and I think they’re playing in a similar vein to the way that they were last season. For the most part, their squad and their team are very similar in that sense. We know their strengths and their weaknesses. We’ve worked hard on what they’re going to bring and we feel confident and prepared for that test.

You’ve come up the hard route in your career, does that stand you in good stead for the big games coming up?

I’ve had a fairly long career now, played a good number of games at various levels and been involved in a lot of big games along the way. A lot of high-pressure games and high-pressure moments at different levels and different degrees but I think at the end of the day until you experience these tests first hand you never know. You like to think that you’re playing at this level and you’re picked in these sorts of teams and these sorts of clubs on the merit of your ability, regardless of what’s gone before and you’ve got to trust in that. I’m fully prepared and fully ready for the tasks ahead, really looking forward to testing myself along with the rest of the guys. I think we all feel, not just myself, that we’re more than capable for what comes ahead.

There are going to be a couple of debutants, Malik and Antonio in particular, how will they handle it do you think?

Hopefully, they handle it well. I can’t speak for them but they’ve shown their quality. They’ve played at a high level themselves with the clubs that they’ve come from and the competitions that they’ve played in. I’m sure they’ve played in a lot of big, high-pressure games and equipped themselves well. So far this season the lads who’ve come in have handled the pressure of playing for Rangers very well and shown that they’ve got that confidence to go and put their mark on games so I’m confident in everyone that we’ve got that’s going to turn out in this fixture that they’ve got what it takes to handle that pressure and that environment.

Are the high-pressure games the ones you look forward to when you’re going to have to be busy and make big saves?

I think you’re always going to look forward to these Old Firm fixtures. It’s a huge part of what draws players to come and play for these clubs. It is the big tests that are going to come your way throughout the season and the likelihood is that you’re going to have to play your part in a good performance. But as we’ve already seen this season through our European games, as a squad and as a team, we’re performing well as a group. You’re preparing yourself to make sure that you’re there as and when needed but as a team, we’re hoping to go there and put in a performance that’s complete from back to front.