STEVEN Whittaker called the hostile reception on his return to Ibrox as “pantomime”.

The former Rangers man left the club after it was liquidated in 2012 and knew what was coming when he walked back in a Hibs player.

Whittaker said: “It’s just the pantomime of football and the way the fans see it, There is nothing I can do about that. I can only affect things on the park and that’s what I tried to concentrate on.

“The manager stressed it was important that we all stayed on the park . There were a few incidents that maybe got out of hand but we managed to keep 11 on and that helped us in the end.”

Whittaker has enjoyed working with former foe Neil Lennon.

He said: “As a player and a manager, he is very similar. He has determination. He is a winner and he is bedding that into the squad as much as possible. Us guys who have had the experience of being at the Old Firm and having that mentality, we’re hopefully going to try to adopt that at Hibs as well.

“With experience, you can try to manage the game a bit better. You are used to situations you have been in throughout your career. Younger players who are maybe playing at this level for the first time, you can help them through the situation.

“It’s good to have that in the team. It’s a good balance we have at the minute. We’re looking of really forward to this season.”

So can Hibs finish above Rangers?

Whittaker said: “Time till tell. We believe we have a great squad with good options.

“We have started well and now it on to the next one.”