Vanja Dragojevic Prepares for the Biggest Derby on Earth

Vanja Dragojevic has already felt the heat of Belgrade’s ‘Eternal Derby’. Now he is counting down to what he has been told is something even bigger.

The 20-year-old Rangers midfielder is relishing the prospect of facing Celtic in what he calls “maybe the biggest derby on earth” when the sides collide in the Premier Sports Cup at Ibrox next month.

That tie was sealed by Rangers’ League Cup win over St Mirren on Sunday, a match in which Dragojevic scored his first goal for the club. One strike, and suddenly his path leads straight to the Old Firm.

“We’re really happy that [the Celtic cup tie] will happen,” Dragojevic said, still riding the high of his breakthrough moment.

He knows all about ferocious rivalry. He has already stood in the middle of the storm in Serbia, turning out in three or four Belgrade derbies for Partizan against Red Star. Those occasions are infamous: noise, colour, hostility, and a sense that the game stretches far beyond 90 minutes.

“I played in three or four Belgrade derbies. It was really hard and fired up. In Serbia, it’s not just about the football. It’s really about much more than this. But I like this,” he explained.

What intrigues him now is the idea that Glasgow can top even that.

“When I spoke with lots of players before I came here, everyone said this is maybe the biggest derby on earth. And maybe the craziest one – in a positive way. So I’m really happy that I have the privilege to be part of it and maybe play in it.”

For all the anticipation, he refuses to get lost in the noise. Rangers have a game on Thursday and, as he points out, that has to come first. The derby can wait. Just about.

“It’s too far away to think about because we have a game on Thursday, we will focus on that,” he said, trying to pull the focus back to the immediate schedule, even as the city’s biggest fixture looms in the background.

What is already clear is how quickly Dragojevic has settled into life in Glasgow. The transition from Belgrade to Scotland can be jarring for some. He insists it has been anything but.

“I enjoy it here. This is a great country, with great people. I’m surprised how warm the people are here. When I came to the club it was so easy to adapt. Everyone in the city is so nice. I’m feeling really happy here. I’m looking forward to doing everything I can for this club.”

From the Eternal Derby to the Old Firm, Dragojevic has stepped into another football cauldron. Now he wants more than just the privilege of being involved. He wants to leave his mark on a fixture that defines careers.