ALEX MCLEISH silenced Celtic at Hampden but couldn’t wait to hear the noise at Parkhead.

In his first Old Firm game as Rangers boss, he inspired his side to a dramatic League Cup triumph on the night that Bert Konterman wrote his name in derby folklore.

Just weeks later, his home bow ended in a stalemate as Artur Numan secured a point for the Gers with a stunning strike that sent Ibrox wild.

Read more: Alex McLeish: Rangers can lay down a marker of Premiership title ambitions with Old Firm winGlasgow Times: Alex McLeish won the Treble with Rangers in 2003

Before the season was out, McLeish would return to the National Stadium and lead the Light Blues to Scottish Cup success in a classic Old Firm encounter.

But the trip to Parkhead in April 2002 also stands out for McLeish, and not just for Peter Lovenkrands’ second minute opener or the late melee that saw Fernando Ricksen, Johan Mjallby and John Hartson all sent off.

Read more: Alex McLeish: Friendship will have to be put aside during Old Firm battle for Mark Warburton and Brendan Rodgers

With the Scottish Premier League title already destined for the Celtic Park trophy cabinet, there was only pride at stake. That was more than enough for McLeish, though.

On Saturday, Mark Warburton will become the latest Gers boss to face the Hoops in league action and McLeish hopes it will be a day to remember in the East End for the Englishman.

“I remember my first journey to Celtic Park,” he told SportTimes.

“I went in there, you see all the Celtic fans, they are always trying to intimidate you, but I vowed to myself to relish every minute of it. That is what I did.

“I was so excited and so thrilled to see the Celtic fans there giving us a hot reception. I said ‘this is what it is all about’.

“I am sure that is how Mark Warburton will feel. When you are in this game, you crave playing and managing at the highest level.

“You are at the highest level in Scottish football with the two biggest clubs in Scotland and in the world and you have to relish that challenge.”

Warburton already has a victory over Celtic on his Ibrox CV but his second taste of the famous fixture will be far different to his first.

The Scottish Cup semi-final success last term was arguably the highlight of the campaign for the Gers, and was certainly their finest showing as they edged a thrilling encounter at the National Stadium.

But now the 53-year-old will have to go behind enemy lines in the search for three points and a performance that he hopes will spark the Gers’ title bid into life.

McLeish said: “I could take advice from people who had been involved in it, like Walter Smith, who is a great friend and gave me a couple of pointers.

“But you have to have that experience and live it and it is something that nobody can prepare you for.

“Yes, they can tell you a couple of things but the personal experience of it is quite incredible.

“It is something that is hard to explain to people that haven’t done it. It is a great fixture to be a part of.”

The Old Firm clashes gave McLeish some of his finest wins and most crushing defeats during his trophy-laden spell at Ibrox that saw him win seven major honours and the Treble in 2003.

A series of the biggest names to have graced our game in recent years were involved as McLeish took on Hoops sides managed by Martin O’Neill and Gordon Strachan.

The mixture of a will to win, atmosphere from the stands and pressure on the shoulders of the players has proven to be a potent one over the years.

And McLeish is confident Warburton’s side will be able to handle the occasion and rise to it as they bid for a crucial Premiership triumph this weekend.

“It is important to keep your calm and keep cool in an Old Firm game,” he said.

“You don’t want to reduce your resources by getting a man sent off through stupidity. Discipline is, first and foremost, very important for the players.

“They will be motivated like never before and that is the time when good, experienced players like the ones that Rangers have taken in have to show all their quality.

“I am sure they will go that extra mile to try and get the result that the Rangers fans will crave.”

It is four years since the Light Blue legions last made their way across Glasgow for a league outing and much, of course, has changed on and off the field at Ibrox and Parkhead since.

But the passing of time hasn’t diluted the rivalry or lessened the sense of expectation as Scotland’s biggest clubs get set to renew hostilities once again on Saturday.

McLeish said: “Absolutely there is a global attraction of Rangers against Celtic. I am doing an interview with a Spanish television company this week about the game. It is global.

“Rangers are well known in America, as are Celtic, and the global attraction of these two clubs is phenomenal.

“That will always be the case with this fixture. It is a great game to be involved in and one that everyone wants to be part of.”