Premier League manager makes Rangers admission as Celtic star backs teammate for Euro 2024 role

Rangers must defeat Dundee at Ibrox on Tuesday or Celtic will be declared champions. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

There’s just one round of fixtures left before the curtain falls on the Scottish Premiership season and Hearts will get their final game-day underway with a clash against Rangers at Tynecastle. Hibs will then play their last game on Sunday when they travel to the Almondvale Stadium to take on Livingston.

As the final weekend of the season approaches, let’s take a look at the latest headlines in and around the Premiership for Friday, May 17th outside of Edinburgh:

Premier League manager admits Ibrox revelation

Mikel Arteta is entering his final game of the season with Arsenal and could well lift the Premier League title if Manchester City drop points. The Spanish manager has come a long way in both his playing and coaching journey and he has reflected on his time with Rangers, and how it shaped his career.

Arteta signed for the Gers in 2002 after Barcelona couldn’t make a deal work with his loan club PSG. The Spaniard said he witnessed the Ibrox atmosphere for the first time and was starstruck by the fans. Rangers came in for him ‘straight away’ after their clash with PSG and Arteta viewed it as a big opportunity.

“It was really challenging, completely different football. You have to survive or die, in that context,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live. “An amazing club, a fascinating environment, a great city and I lived games that will live with me for the rest of my life. Different worlds open up. I went there and it was a completely different world.

“Alex McLeish, a Scottish manager, completely different methods, ideas. He talked about the game in a different way. I said ‘okay I'm going to have to adapt to this’ and go to stadiums in Scotland where the style is very different, with the surface very different, the weather is very different. The value for something positive is different. It was really really healthy for me as well. That made a better player.”

Celtic star backs teammate for Euro 2024 call-up

James Forrest has been linked with a potential call-up to the Scotland team amid Steve Clarke’s injury crisis. With Nathan Patterson and Aaron Hicket both set to miss out on Euro 2024, the Tartan Army are missing key players at an important time.

Celtic captain Callum McGregor believes that teammate Forrest could be the man to call on this summer to solve Scotland’s injury fears.

“The system that the manager wants to play is a right-wing-back role. I’d never dream of telling the Scotland manager who to pick but James certainly has the quality. He could play in that position and give us a little bit more of an attacking threat,” McGregor said.

“It would be amazing if he managed to get back in for the tournament. He’s just got to keep pushing and knocking on the door and hopefully, he gets in.

“There have been some top players who have played at this club and to be up there pushing for accolades like that speaks volumes for how good he is, his professionalism, his mentality and how he has looked after himself. He deserves all the credit in the world.”