Wes Foderingham says Celtic were ‘not a great side’ when Rangers last recorded a victory against them

WES FODERINGHAM admits the last Celtic team his Rangers side managed to beat were “not a great side”.

But the Rangers goalkeeper reckons victory over Brendan Rodgers’ current version would represent a huge scalp, ahead of the opening Old Firm derby of the campaign at Ibrox on Saturday afternoon.

Rangers last season lost three of their four showdowns with the unbeaten Hoops – including two 5-1 drubbings.

Foderingham has tasted victory in the fixture, having helped Mark Warburton’s Light Blues clinch a penalty shoot-out triumph in the William Hill Scottish Cup semi-finals 18 months ago.

But the Rangers number one accepts Pedro Caixinha’s new-look side will line up against a far superior Celtic team this weekend to the one assembled by Ronny Deila.

He said: “We were playing in the Championship but Celtic were not a great side. Let’s be honest, they were not a great side when we beat them.

“They were not playing terrifically well, but confidence was really high in the Rangers team.

“But if we can put on a better performance against them in the league and get some wins then that will definitely be a massive achievement.

“Can we go toe to toe with them this time? Of course. They have quality but we have quality. It’s two good teams going head to head.

“Can we cause them problems? Yes. Can they cause us problems? Yes, so it’s about who turns up on the day and hopefully it’s us.

“We have improved on last season. We’ve strengthened, the squad has got better, we’ve got more numbers in so we are in a good position. We feel we’re better placed to challenge.”

Foderingham this week penned a contract extension tying him to Rangers until 2020.

And, having knocked back interest from other clubs over the summer, the 26-year-old has indicated he could finish his career in Glasgow.

“I wanted to stay and I made it clear,” he said. “Sometimes it’s not down to you as a player – it’s down to whether the club want to keep you.

“But the club wanted me to be here and I was happy to be here, so it was a no-brainer.

“It’s a fantastic club. The fan-base is incredible, the facilities are incredible and the sheer size of the club is massive.

“There is the option of European football if we can qualify, too. If we can get that done and possibly even reach the group stages then that is something I’d be keen to be involved in.

“I’m 26 now and I don’t see why (I couldn’t finish my career here). It’s a brilliant club that has a history of playing in Europe and hopefully when we get back there I’m still here.

“When I joined it was always in my head that I wanted to be part of a Rangers side that was playing in Europe. I’ve yet to really achieve that, having been beaten in the qualifiers this year.

“But I definitely want to be here when Rangers get back into Europe.”