Where Rangers vs Celtic ranks among the top rivalries in British football remains a never-ending debate across the sporting landscape.

While centuries of history, relentless passion, and raw tribalism heavily favour the Old Firm derby, English football fans often dismiss Scottish football due to financial disparities and broadcast biases. However, those who have watched or experienced the fixture know that few matches anywhere in the world match its sheer intensity.

The latest high-profile figure to weigh in on the discussion is former England and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey.

Speaking in an exclusive feature with 10bet, the 48-year-old compiled his official ranking of the nation’s 10 fiercest footballing rivalries. In a verdict that underlines the unmatched global standing of Scottish football’s flagship fixture, Heskey placed Rangers vs Celtic at No. 2 on his list – ranking the Old Firm ahead of iconic English encounters such as Manchester United vs Liverpool (3rd), Manchester United vs Manchester City (4th), and Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur (5th).

Liverpool icon Emile Heskey ranks Rangers vs Celtic as second-best British football rivalry

Heskey boasts immense derby credentials from his four-year career at Anfield, having featured in 10 competitive matches against Manchester United and eight Merseyside derbies against Everton. The only encounter he placed ahead of the Glasgow spectacle was the Merseyside clash – a derby he personally graced on the pitch eight times.

Yet despite having never experienced an Old Firm derby live from inside a packed stadium, Heskey admitted that even television broadcasts convey the terrifying, raw energy generated by both sets of supporters.

#2 Celtic and Rangers. I have never even watched the game live, but having watched it on the telly, it’s just nuts. Crazy. And, yes, the energy.

While Heskey never represented Rangers in a senior competitive match nor served in a coaching capacity at Ibrox, he is no stranger to the stadium. Back in October 2019, the former striker donned the red shirt for a Liverpool Legends team against a Rangers Legends side at Ibrox, scoring one of the goals for the Reds in a 3-2 victory.

Furthermore, Heskey demonstrated sharp foresight regarding Scottish football back in 2018. Following Steven Gerrard’s high-profile managerial appointment at Ibrox, Heskey publicly insisted that the 2018–19 campaign would prove too early for Gerrard to beat Celtic to the Premiership title – a prediction that proved spot-on as Gerrard spent time building his squad before lifting the crown undefeated two years later.

Heskey’s latest ranking serves as another glowing endorsement from English football royalty, reaffirming that the intensity of Glasgow’s rival spectacle remains completely unrivalled across the British landscape.