FORMER Celtic starlets Stephen Welsh and Ewan Henderson admit they can’t wait to go face to face with each other today in a Belgian derby.
Welsh is on loan at Mechelen and Henderson is at Beerschot and the two sides play in a Belgian top flight showdown today.
Both players were at Celtic together for years and played together in the same team.
But they will put that aside for the game today.
Welsh said: “Our friendship is separate from that match. We are professionals and it is an important match for both teams.
“I think the quality of our team is so high that it is actually strange that we are so low in the table.
“A bit of rivalry adds a bit of spice to a game, but this will be nothing like Celtic v Rangers.
“You go into the stadium and you can’t hear anything because of the overwhelming noise in an Old Firm game.
“You can’t even hear yourself talk. In my case, it helps me focus even more.”
And Henderson, who also played for Hibs, insists he only cares about getting the win.
He said: “Of course there is a bit of a rivalry between us, just because we are good friends. But I think we will step onto the pitch on Sunday and not be friends for 90 minutes.
“I didn’t know about the rivalry between the two clubs to be honest, I mainly know the derby between Royal Antwerp and Beerschot.
“But the Old Firm is a different story – I’ve never played in such a fierce game.
“Breaking through to the club of our hearts with Stephen was actually quite crazy when you think about it. It’s something you dream of as a kid.”
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