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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Steven Mair

The moment Mark Warburton paused for Celtic thought as Ronny Deila was on his mind amid Rangers jubilation

Mark Warburton took in the elation of 2016's Scottish Cup semi-final victory over Celtic.

And then for a moment the Rangers manager had one man on his mind: Ronny Deila.

A Tom Rogic miss in the penalty shootout saw Gers progress to the final where they'd taste defeat against Hibs, after a whirlwind 120 minutes that saw the men in blue lead twice through Kenny Miller and Barrie McKay, only for Erik Sviatchenko and Rogic to level for Deila's Hoops.

The Norwegian left Glasgow that summer with Brendan Rodgers taking his place at Parkhead and leading Celtic into a new era of dominance.

And Warburton couldn't help feel sympathy for his opposing gaffer who he felt was about to enter a rough time in his career, though he has since gone on to win the MLS Cup over in America with New York City FC.

Speaking to the Scotsman, Warburton said: "I saw some of the treatment of Ronny Deila going into the game as a fellow manager. I just thought some of the words written about Ronny were shocking.

"I knew when that final whistle went, of course you saw my reaction, but there was a moment where I stopped and thought ‘he is going to come in for so much inappropriate and undeserved abuse almost from the media’.

"I really felt for him. I genuinely mean that. He came in for some torrid headlines which for a man who brought so much success were fully unjustified.

"He showed (at NYC) he is a quality manager and a class act.

"There is going to be a winner and a loser in a game like that, you can write all the headlines you like and you can be on both sides of the coin but he didn't deserve that.

"Some of the stuff written about Ronny building up to the game and post-game would never be tolerated down south."

Warburton insists there was one criticism that made him "angry" as Rangers manager – the inference that he didn't 'get' the Old Firm.

The fact he still feels proud to have delivered that Hampden moment of joy six years later is proof that's not the case, he insists.

Warburton added: "That was very, very obvious to me. I get very angry and frustrated when I get told I don’t understand what it means. Of course I do.

"I knew that after what the Rangers supporters had been through and the level of support they had given their club right the way through that process, to have that day and to win that game, I knew what it meant.

"That feeling will never ever go away."

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