How Barry Bannan reacted to big Celtic win over Rangers | OneFootball

The Millwall midfielder has reacted to Celtic's Scottish Cup win over their Old Firm rivals

Celtic were victorious in the fifth Old Firm derby of the season on Sunday, as they beat their rivals Rangers on penalties in the Scottish FA Cup quarter-finals.

It came just a week after the last meeting between the two sides, when Celtic, who were second best for the whole of the first half, pulled the rabbit out of the hat in the second, and overturned a two-goal deficit to salvage a point late on.

This time around, the Bhoys were dominated from minute one to minute 120, registering just one shot all game compared to Rangers' 24. In the end, though, they held their nerve in the penalty shootout and won 4-2 via spot kicks.

It was another classic Celtic away Old Firm derby performance overseen by Martin O'Neill. The 74-year-old has continued to give fans big memories of wins over their rivals, and boyhood Celtic fan and current Millwall midfielder, Barry Bannan, has sung his praises on social media.

Barry Bannan reacts to Celtic's FA Cup win against Rangers

Bannan never played for Celtic, despite spending time in their academy prior to joining Aston Villa at the age of 14. He expressed his only regret in his storied career was that he never played for his boyhood club, but that hasn't stopped him from supporting them from afar.

After the smash-and-grab win over Rangers at the Ibrox on Sunday, Bannan took to Instagram to react to the win.

"King Martin does it again," wrote the 36-year-old, and his reaction will reflect the feelings of many other Celtic fans, too.

The penalty win was the 13th Old Firm derby that the 74-year-old has taken charge of in enemy territory, and he continued his winning record in those games. Having drawn the week before and won on Sunday, his record now stands at seven wins, two draws and four defeats.

In any derby, the home advantage is key, as having tens of thousands of loud fans on your side can give anyone a big boost to victory. However, under O'Neill, that advantage hasn't been a factor, and Bhoys fans, Bannan included, have enjoyed plenty of trips to Ibrox under the 74-year-old.

Could Barry Bannan find himself in an Old Firm Derby before he retires?

Bannan's campaign has taken a little bit of a hit since he made the switch to Millwall in January, ending a decade-long association with Sheffield Wednesday in the process.

At Hillsborough, he was the first name on the teamsheet and captain of the side. Whereas, at Millwall, he's been a mere squad player in a side pushing for promotion, and has failed to get off the bench in either of the last two league games.

Bannan may find himself wanting more game time in the twilight of his career, and he doesn't seem to be receiving that at the Den, and if Millwall do go up to the Premier League this season, he'll definitely see his opportunities limited even further.

If he does find himself on the move this coming summer, a switch to Celtic won't be one that he'll turn down, you'd expect, given his ties to the club. That is, though, if the opportunity came, as signing a 36-year-old midfielder may not be the direction that the Bhoys want to go in.