Leighton Clarkson loved the rough and tumble of derby clashes with Liverpool - even just in the youth ranks. Despite his tender years the Aberdeen loanee already has 90 minutes of Champions League experience with Jurgen Klopp’s top team under his belt too.
So forget any notion of lamb to the slaughter when the Anfield ace enters the bear pit for one of the Scottish Premiership ’s most volatile fixtures when Aberdeen head to Ibrox this afternoon. Clarkson, who only turned 21 last week, has been fully briefed on the needle that accompanies fixtures between the Dons and Rangers.
And it’s the perfect platform for the competitive midfielder who, to date, counts a Champions League group match away to Midtjylland two years ago as the biggest 90 minutes of his career. Klopp’s side drew that one 1-1 thanks to Mo Salah’s first minute goal as they secured a top of the group passage into knockout stages. That tie in the Danish side’s quaint 11,700-capacity MCH Arena may have had all the glamour attached to Europe’s top competition.
But Clarkson is well aware a packed Ibrox is an entirely different affair as the Dons look to claw their arch rivals back to within four points in second spot. He said: “Before I signed I spoke to Jim Goodwin on the phone and he told me about this rivalry. It’s one of those games where there’s a lot riding on it but it’s one that we are confident we can go there and give it our best shot.
“I definitely enjoy these occasions. It’s something that from a young age I have been a part of. Coming up through Liverpool against the the Man City's, the Evertons, they were always rash and dirty and stuff like that But they were the games you looked forward to.
“I just can’t wait to play and see how it goes. I’ve played at Anfield a couple of times. I played away to Midtjylland in the Champions League which is a decent stadium.
“So I feel that nervousness has gone from my game. I’m quite relaxed before big games so I can’t wait to get on the pitch at Ibrox and put on a good performance. It’s a rivalry, there’s no need to play it down or anything like that.
“It’s a massive game, there’s a bit more on it. We just need to focus on ourselves and not them. I feel that the last three games we’ve won and been really focused on ourselves.
“It has paid off so I don’t see why we should look at what Rangers are doing and how it is behind the scenes and stuff like that. We need to perform to the best of our ability and hopefully it is enough.”
The pressure may well be on Gers boss Gio van Bronckhorst after a torrid spell that’s seen the Ibrox side slip off the pace in the Premiership and become Champions League whipping boys.
A 3-0 defeat in Naples on Wednesday was the latest bodyblow to a side that’s desperately in need of a positive result. But Clarkson isn’t interested in what’s going on inside Ibrox - other than for 90 minutes this afternoon.
Asked if the pressure was all on Rangers he said: “Listen, you could say that but it doesn’t really matter. We are not focused on anything to do with them.
“We need to focus about us and we feel if we get eight or nine out of tens all over the pitch we can cause them a lot of problems. We know how we are going to play against them. Our confidence is high leading into the game.
“Bravery is important. When you come up against big teams, it doesn’t matter where even in Spain or England, then you need to have that bravery on the ball and also show them the respect they deserve but get after them. You need to do all the basics well, defend together and hopefully we can go on and win the game.
“I suppose you can be judged a bit differently in these environments but I’m not focusing on that. I’m focused on doing my bit for the team, hopefully get a win or even a draw - a good result that will put more points on the table. After that there’s another three games before the World Cup break and we want to finish strongly going into that.”
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