Chris Sutton has weighed in on whether Rangers should potentially hold a guard of honour at Ibrox on May 4th against Celtic, if the Hoops win the league title against Dundee United at Tannadice, with a draw needed from Celtic against Jim Goodwin’s side to wrap up the title.

It’s a debate that often rages most years, with Celtic frequently wrapping up the title before their final trip to Ibrox of the season. And if the Hoops get that positive result next Saturday, it will give Rangers the chance to finally put an end to the debate.

Whether Rangers interim boss Barry Ferguson decides to hold a guard of honour for the most successful team in Scotland remains to be seen, but Sutton points out that it could be used by Ferguson as a motivational tool ahead of next season.

He said: (RecordSport), “Let’s get the first one out of the way immediately. If the situation does arrive as is likely where Celtic’s first game after clinching the title is at Ibrox on May 4, then I believe Barry Ferguson and his players should applaud the champions onto the park.

“I think differently about it now. In 2019 and 2021, I criticised both Rangers and Celtic for not doing it. Back then, I felt it was the right thing to do. I suppose deep down, I still do.

“But, once we reached two years ago and Michael Beale’s team didn’t do it for Ange Postecoglou’s side, I gave up thinking it actually mattered because I knew it just wasn’t going to happen.

“I said then that Callum McGregor and his team-mates wouldn’t be giving a toss and the same applies now.

“But if I was Ferguson, I’d make it happen. Not just as an act of professionalism and respect, but because these Rangers players and staff should stand there and suffer and use the painful experience as an inspiration and motivation to ensure it never happens to them again.

“Use it as fuel and fire to really drive everyone towards being the ones winning the title next season and making sure it’s them who are being clapped onto a park.”

It looks unlikely that a guard of honour will be held now, as Rangers have had plenty of opportunities to do so over the past decade during Celtic’s domestic dominance.

For Celtic, in all honesty—as Sutton points out—a guard of honour will be the last thing on the team’s mind. With a Scottish Cup semi-final on Sunday and the opportunity to win the league title next weekend, it doesn’t get much better than this for the Hoops.

Having somewhat stuttered after the New Year, Brendan Rodgers will be desperate to add the consistency that was so often seen in the first half of the season, with debates over guards of honour proving little more than a sideshow to Celtic’s real ambitions.