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'You always see a little bit of the style of player in the manager and the teams he coaches. He was a great midfield player, very comfortable on the ball. I am really looking forward to meeting Derek again on Saturday. “I know him personally, I played with him and it’s always nice to see your ex-team-mates getting into management as well. He said: “Derek McInnes is doing a lovely job at Kilmarnock. Van Bronckhorst has pored over some of the unsettling footage from last Tuesday night in Belgium as he aims to right a few wrongs when he welcomes his old mate. Ally McCoist claims Rangers Champions League ref had 'no balls' as Chris Sutton VAR debate descends into meltdown.

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Transfer news LIVE as Celtic and Rangers plus Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibs eye signings.But for McInnes and his Rugby Park side this afternoon’s something of a free hit. The stakes couldn’t be higher going into a recovery mission against the Belgians on Tuesday. Today the pair will have polar opposite agendas with Rangers aiming to iron out the issues which saw them lose 2-0 to Union Saint-Gilloise in a Champions League qualifier and brought a scathing assessment from their boss.

The Dutchman’s fondness for his old Ibrox team-mate was forged during a spell in the late 1990s which included a Scottish Cup Final win over Celtic when they shared midfield duties. Whether the mutual appreciation remains intact after the Rangers boss goes head to head with his Kilmarnock counterpart this afternoon remains to be seen. But there was no doubt the terms of endearment Gio van Bronckhorst showered on Derek McInnes was heart-felt. Genuine affection isn’t always on show when managers go through the motions in the traditional pre-match meet and greet.

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