Ex-Fifa official suggests exchange deal as landmark Celtic v Rangers news confirmed
Willie Collum has got “everything going for him” and is the right man to referee next month’s derby between Celtic and Rangers, according to Keith Hackett.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Fifa and Premier League referee admitted he would like to see Collum in the Premier League and an English referee could oversee the Glasgow derby on an exchange programme.
Footballscotland reported on Thursday (16 December) the experienced whistler will take charge when the two clubs meet at Celtic Park on 2 January.
It will be the first time he has overseen the fixture since the 1-1 draw at Celtic Park in March when Alfredo Morelos scored his first goal against the Hoops.
He dished out four yellow cards in the behind-closed-doors game and nobody was sent off.
“He’s got everything going for him,” Hackett told Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley.
“He’s experienced and he’s well regarded as a referee around the world.
“I would have loved to have refereed that match in my own career.
“To be honest, I’d like to see Willie Collum come down and do some games in the English Premier League and maybe an English referee goes up there if they want them.
“Effectively, I do genuinely think it would be nice to have his calibre of referee dropping down into the Premier League.”
Rangers are on an unbeaten run of seven games against Celtic.
The game next month will be the first time Giovanni van Bronckhorst has faced Rangers’ bitter rivals as a manager.
In other news, a top pundit has pointed to Virgil van Dijk and Celtic after a Rangers transfer update from Turkey.