Ex-star tells an old anecdote about past Celtic and Rangers clashes.
Chris Sutton has told The Mail that his Celtic side deliberately targeted Rangers midfielder Mikel Arteta with a few rough tactics during previous Old Firm games.
Speaking about the treatment Wilfried Zaha is currently receiving while playing for Crystal Palace, Sutton says that a player being targeted is nothing new.
Telling an anecdote from his Celtic days, Sutton says that he and his old teammates deliberately targeted young Rangers midfielder Arteta.
He said: “When I was at Celtic, I remember Mikel Arteta coming on the scene as a 20-year-old at Rangers. Before facing him, we talked about being super-aggressive.
“Arteta was a really talented player and we wanted to test his courage. Whoever was nearest him would make life as uncomfortable as possible.”
Now retired, Arteta played for Rangers for two seasons between 2002 and 2004, playing more than 50 games.
He went on to play for Everton and Arsenal and is now an assistant coach to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
Arteta won one league title at Rangers in 2002/03 and a League Cup in the same season.
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