Ness not fazed by derby start

04 January 2011 19:00
Jamie Ness has revealed his nerves disappeared straight after kick-off at Ibrox on Sunday despite being told he was making his first Rangers start just hours before the Old Firm derby. The 19-year-old had only made his debut as a late substitute during the 4-1 defeat of Motherwell on Boxing Day but was pitched in from the start against Celtic after Steven Naismith was ruled out with a hamstring injury. The day ended in disappointment for Ness after Celtic went four points clear in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League with a 2-0 victory. But it was still a momentous day for the teenager, who recently signed an extended contract that ties him to Rangers until the summer of 2013. Ness told Blues News: "I got told a couple of hours before kick-off. I was surprised but I was really excited and looking forward to the game. It was brilliant - you can't describe the feeling you get running out in front of 50,000 fans. It was just an unbelievable experience. I was a bit nervous before the game but once I got on the pitch I was just excited and looking to play my own game. "It's not a bad way to make your home debut, it's just a shame about the result. I thought we were the better team in the first half and started a bit slow in the second half and they have picked on that. But overall I didn't feel we deserved to lose the game."

Source: PA