VICTOR WANYAMA sat in the away dressing room at Ibrox with his head in his hands and the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Sent off after just 57 minutes of the last Old Firm game, the distraught Kenyan couldn’t bring himself to show his face to the team-mates he felt he’d let down.

So he shut himself away deep in the bowels of the old stadium, listening to the thunderous sounds of the jubilant Rangers support above his head until his mates came back in, beaten 3-2 but defiant.

Wanyama is clearly still hurting when he looks back on what he calls the worst moment of his career.

But the painful lessons are usually the ones best learned and Wanyama can’t wait for his first chance to make amends when Gers come calling to Parkhead on Sunday for the last Old Firm clash of the season.

Wanyama said: “It was the worst I’ve felt in my career. I’ve been looking forward to the Old Firm game since that day because I wanted to convince people I’m not that type of dirty player. I just missed the timing of my tackle.

“The last Old Firm game was a very difficult time for me as it was my first red card in this league and my first thought was that I had let my team-mates down.

“Of course we went on to lose the game, which made it worse. I didn’t even watch the rest of the game. I just stayed in the dressing room.

“Cha, who had been sent off earlier, went to watch the rest of it but I stayed in there because I was too upset at what had happened.

“I felt I had let my team-mates down and that’s why I didn’t want to go out. I was alone in there. I took a shower then just sat there trying not to even think about the game.

“After some minutes Ki came in and told me it was 3-2. I was surprised at that because I thought the minute I got the red card it would be very difficult for Celtic.

“I asked myself if I didn’t get the red card maybe it would have been a different game. When you are two players down it is not easy for any team to do a good job.

“After the game the manager spoke to me. I felt a little better after that and realised I had to move on. He told me things like that happen but I shouldn’t lose my head in these games.

“It’s important to learn not to go too far and be in control. If you don’t lose your head and stay focused, everything will be well.

“He stressed I should learn from what happened and I think I have. Hopefully I will prove that in the next game.”

A quirk of fate will see Wanyama face the same referee who sent him off in the last Old Firm clash, Calum Murray having been drafted in at short notice after Craig Thomson withdrew because of family commitments.

Murray was criticised for sending of Cha Du-Ri in the first half of that Ibrox clash then banishing boss Neil Lennon from the dugout for taking issue with his decision.

The only dismissal Celtic didn’t contest was Wanyama’s. But the 20-year-old was sensibly determined not to be caught bang to rights again by getting involved in any pre-match talk about Murray’s return to the Old Firm cauldron.

He’ll need to keep that same level-headed attitude from the first shrill of the referee’s whistle to the last on Sunday afternoon.

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He’s determined to last the 90 minutes this time, not just because it will provehe has the mentality to handle big-game atmospheres but because he loves soaking up every second of this famous fixture.

Wanyama added: “I’m really looking forward to the game on Sunday. We’ve been working hard this week and hopefully it can be a good game for us.

“This is more than a normal league game for me because it’s the two biggest teams in Scotland playing each other. The atmosphere and the passion of the fans tells you everything about the two clubs and it’s great to be part of it.

“I wouldn’t say these games go past quickly. Maybe if you have a good game they might but if you are having a bad time it can feel like it’s going slowly.

“I don’t think there will be anydifference from the last game in terms of how the players approach it. For me it’s always the same, you always have something to play for in this game even when the championship is decided.

“The fans always give you the motivation to win, they play a big role in these games.”

Wanyama can look back with pride on a successful first season at Parkhead after signing from Belgian side Beerschot for £900,000. He insists he’ll hit the ground running next term, despite a busy summer schedule on international duty.

In June he’ll join Kenya for African Nations Cup and World Cupqualifiers against Malawi, Namibia and Togo. But he insists he’ll stillbe well rested when he reports back to Parkhead.

He said: “The last game is away to Togo on June 15, so after that I will be able to have a good rest and hopefully be ready for the Champions League qualifiers. I think everything will be okay.”