Mark Warburton’s Glasgow Rangers are top of the Scottish Premiership, with the Ibrox side one point ahead of Celtic.
Former Celtic striker Andy Walker has admitted to Sky Sports that he is pleased to see Rangers back competing for the Scottish Premiership.
Mark Warburton’s Rangers sit top of the table after winning seven points from a possible nine, with an opening-day 1-1 draw with Hamilton being their only blemish.
They are a point ahead of Celtic – who have played one game less – while Hearts and Aberdeen are also within striking distance of the table-topping Gers.
It is Rangers’ first season back in the top flight following a four-year absence and Warburton’s excellent summer on the transfer front is expected to see them mount a serious challenge to Celtic’s title, with the Hoops bidding for six on the bounce.
Both Old Firm rivals clash at Celtic Park on September 10, and Walker, who had two spells at Paradise, says that fiery encounter will help to gauge how big or small the gap is between the bitter Glasgow enemies.
“It’s good to see Rangers back and competing at the top end of the table. I think the level of competition is good when you have Celtic, Rangers Aberdeen and Hearts all up there,” he told Sky Sports.
“Rangers, despite that blip on the opening day have gone to the top of the league. I think they are showing that they’re capable of matching Hearts, Aberdeen and Celtic at this stage.
“The Celtic versus Rangers match in a couple of weeks will give us a great marker as to how both of these teams might perform in the year ahead.”
In theory, the gap should be minimal. Rangers beat Celtic – then under Ronny Deila – on penalties to reach the Scottish Cup final in April, with the then-Championship side taking the lead on two occasions.
Warburton has significantly strengthened his squad since then, bringing in 10 players, while Brendan Rodgers has signed the likes of Scott Sinclair, Kolo Toure and Moussa Dembele.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
