Diouf can give Rangers the edge in Old Firm cup clash, says Weir

Weir played against Diouf several times during his career in English football and has no doubt the controversial Senegalese player's ability outweighs any concerns about his temperament. With Diouf poised to make his first starting appearance for Rangers in the Old Firm tie at Ibrox, Weir is confident the 30-year-old will cope with the intensity of an occasion in which he may find himself the centre of attention on and off the pitch.

"You look at the pedigree, what he has done in his career and the level he has played at consistently," said Weir. "At the start of the transfer window, you would have thought getting a player of El-Hadji's quality would be beyond Rangers. So I think it's a coup getting him here and hopefully he will go on and prove that to be the case.

"He has been in the English Premier League for a number of years and been a consistent performer. The level of his ability is unquestioned. The reaction to him signing for Rangers has been over the top, but it always is up here. Every reaction we have is over the top, that's just the way it is.

"Everyone I have spoken to about him says he is a nice lad. Some of the stuff being dragged up about his past was from seven or eight years ago. We have all made mistakes. You can't get away from that and El-Hadji has been punished for it.

"But it's his football that he is here for, not for anything else. He showed when he came on for his debut against Hearts on Wednesday that he is more than capable of being a good footballer for Rangers. That's the priority for us.

"He will give us something different as a team, an option that we've not really had. He holds onto the ball well and protects it.

"I'm sure he could be targeted by the opposition, but I think he is more than capable of handling it. That's part of the package. He has been around the world and is experienced. He is not a young boy, or someone who isn't wise to that kind of stuff.

"I don't think you can talk anyone through their first Old Firm game, they have to go in and experience it for themselves. But I don't have any fears for El-Hadji on Sunday."

Weir, who will be making his 18th Old Firm appearance for Rangers tomorrow, believes the business conducted by manager Walter Smith during the transfer window could prove crucial to the Scottish champions' hopes of success this season.

Numerically, Rangers are no better off with the arrivals of Diouf, striker David Healy and teenage defender Kyle Bartley offset by the departures of Kenny Miller, Andy Webster and Jordan McMillan. Weir, however, feels the presence of new faces is significant.

"The squad has been much the same for three or four years now and you do need a wee spark now and again," said the 40-year-old defender. "Vladimir Weiss came in at the start of the season to give us something different and hopefully the three lads who have joined us now can give us a change of impetus.

"We were basically replacing what we had lost, but the lads who have come in are all good players and I'm sure they will do well for us."

Although the bookmakers disagree, Weir believes Rangers can be regarded as the underdogs tomorrow.

"You just have to look at the facts," he said. "Celtic have a bigger squad and they have a lead in the title race. If you look at their form, they are flying. They are banging goals in left, right and centre. They are not conceding goals. The fact it is at Ibrox is maybe in our favour, but they beat us at Ibrox a few weeks ago, so I would say they are probably favourites."