It was Saturday, September 28, 1996, and Jorg Albertz sat in a familiar position but facing a truly alien situation.

The German’s eyes panned the room he'd come accustomed to over the previous two months as those around him he had grown to know buzzed with adrenaline as they paced about. Nervous. Excited. Ready.

At the heart of it was his captain, his leader, Richard Gough. The big defender was an intense vision of impatience roaming the Ibrox home dressing room, eyes no doubt staring as the dull thunderous roar of singing and chanting rumbled loudly out through the ceiling high above his head and in through the bright window leading out on to Edmiston Drive.

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This was the moment that hit Albertz with the full force of one of the ranging midfielder’s hammer shots – nothing could prepare him for his first Old Firm derby.

Almost 20 years on from that very day, the former Rangers hero is ready to re-live his moments through the latest generation of players who will pull on a light blue jersey and walk out of another pressured dressing room to join those Celtic players in green and white from across the city.

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The 45-year-old may be back in his native Germany but the distance between him and the landmark game that will take place at Parkhead this Saturday has not diminished his own memories or indeed his expectations of what this weekend’s fixture can hold for his old team.

“To be honest it’s very hard to imagine how to go out into that game,” Albertz exclusively told SportTimes.

“The plus for me was looking at the team I was playing in. The Scottish boys made sure I know exactly what was going to happen.

“You have an expectation of course, but it goes far beyond that. It’s just the most electric atmosphere you can imagine, and you just love to play that game.

“You don’t have any fear or whatever, you just want to play for your club.

“For me it was the biggest game I’ve played in. The atmosphere was just amazing. I think everyone in Scotland is looking forward to the Old Firm being back.

“We recently had a very bad spell at Rangers, but the boys are back up again, they deserve to be up again and I’m sure they will try to do everything to win the game against Celtic. On the other side they will do the same.

“Hopefully everyone will enjoy the day and the blue half of Glasgow will be happier by the end.”

Many things will need to follow into line if the former Hamburg man’s wish is to be fulfilled.

Celtic are going into the first Old Firm league game for four years riding high on the crest of a sky-high wave that has seen them flood defences throughout Scotland with wave upon wave of goal-laden attacks while Brendan Rodgers’ side is awash with a confident squad just days away from a Champions League opener away to Barcelona.

Having said that, the phrase ‘form goes out the window’ is regularly trotted out for big games, but on this occasion it may carry some weight.

Speaking from experience, character is the main characteristic that former Germany internationalist Albertz looks to as a match-winning factor during his time in the Glasgow derby, a fixture he only lost four times in 21 attempts.

As he sat in that wooden-clad dressing room back in 1996, his eyes glanced round at those sitting around him. As well as captain Gough, his gaze caught the sight of Andy Goram, Paul Gascoigne, Stuart McCall and Brian Laudrup to name but a few. It is the mental strength of these men to dig deep that he credits for being the key to his own Old Firm success, and he has placed importance on the same qualities this time around.

“Of course it’s strong to have leaders,” he explained. “Going back to my time Richard Gough was a strong character, he was the first one out there on the park!

“But we had so many leaders by the end of the game, and you needed them. You can’t be over the top, because it can work against you.

“The game is getting hyped up. People say it’s just a game, this isn’t just a game.

“You do as much as you can to get those three points. You need leaders on the pitch, especially going forward if the team is not performing the way it should be. You need someone to say ‘Come on guys, follow me’.

“In my case we had so many leaders in the team. Every man was a leader on his own, it was amazing. It helps so much.”

Rangers went on to win that game 2-0 through goals from Gough and Gascoigne – both of which were set up by Albertz – but the cult hero midfielder’s favourite memory would come on January 2 the following year.

In what went on to be an iconic moment in Rangers history, the German’s booming free-kick that scudded through a Celtic wall and into the back of the net not only put the home side on the way to a 3-1 win, but signified Albertz’s first Old Firm goal.

It is a memory he cherishes as he clings on to the hope it can be emulated on Saturday.

“I will single that free-kick out,” he reminisced. “Not because it was a free-kick, but because it was my first goal against Celtic.

“In my first Old Firm game I set both goals up for Richard Gough and Gazza. I’ve scored a few goals against Celtic too.

“Don’t forget we won the league away from home at Parkhead which sticks in my mind. I have lots of nice memories, as well as the thoughts of losing.

“Yes there were sad moments, but that free-kick is certainly up there as the best. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who scores or how it’s done, as long as you win that’s all that matters.”