Co-operative Insurance Cup final - Celtic v Rangers
Venue: Hampden Park, Glasgow Date: Sunday, 20 March Kick-off: 1500 GMT Coverage: Live on BBC One Scotland from 1430, streamed live on BBC Sport website & BBC Radio Scotland live commentary. Updates on Radio 5 live & live text commentary on BBC Sport website

By Jack Ross BBC Scotland blogger

"Experience is not what happens to you, it is what you do with what happens to you."

I don't think the American writer Aldous Huxley particularly had football in mind when he said that, but it applies to the sport as much as any other are of life.

Even after a player strays over 30 or surpasses a significant number of games there's no guarantee that he'll be a role model and inspire both on and off the field.

Why? Because too many players don't welcome the added responsibility that comes with being a senior player - instead content to remain in the more comfortable zone which the early part of a career can bring.

Weir has played in the professional ranks since 1992

There are others, however, who relish the extra demands this role brings, happily sharing their knowledge and making the necessary adjustments to protect their longevity in the game.

One such player will lead out Rangers in the League Cup Final, where his influence will be required as much as ever within what will undoubtedly be the fiercest of atmospheres.

Davie Weir has maintained his performance at the top level into his forties, but how has he managed that and exactly why is he still so important to his Rangers team-mates?

I would suggest that a very high level of game intelligence has enabled Davie to keep playing professional football for nearly 30 years.

Traditionally in Scotland we associate central defenders with not being the cleverest of players, and simply being driven by the need to be aggressive and win the ball.

In the early part of the season I spent some time training at Falkirk and had the pleasure of enjoying some chats with Alex Smith, himself a man of much experience, who said that he found some of the most intelligent players he had ever watched or coached to be centre-halves.

He believed this was reflected in their ability to read the game, their positional sense, and how they could marshal the team around them to make sure they were defensively sound.

During our conversations the likes of Willie Miller were mentioned and, of course, Davie Weir because in the modern era he is one of our finest examples of a defender who can marry being competitive with using their football brain.

But as the latest Old Firm clash approaches how is it that a player like Davie can be comfortable with the burden of being experienced and can influence those around them?

Weir will have to help his defence cope with Hooper and Stokes on Sunday

The importance of good communication on the park should never be underestimated, and while sometimes we mistake this for the player who shouts the loudest, the quality and significance of a message is of far more importance.

So the full back or central defender who plays directly alongside Davie Weir or the midfielders in front of him will know the benefit of how he sees the game.

The difference of having a voice that tells you where opponents are or what positions you should take up is invaluable, with Rangers defenders Ricky Foster and Kyle Bartley among those who I am sure would testify to that.

Away from the action on a match day, players are revered for their attitude in training, and their approachability and ability to make other players of all ages feel comfortable in their presence.

All the opinion that comes from the confines of Murray Park is that Davie fulfils these criteria and, having completed the first part of my UEFA A Licence alongside him, I have no doubt he has a manner which makes him the ideal choice for Rangers captain.

There is absolutely no doubt that this week's cup final will present another stiff test for Rangers and Davie Weir, whether it is the pace of Gary Hooper, the presence of Georgios Samaras or the poaching ability of Anthony Stokes.

It is another challenge in a great career but Davie is good enough, and dare I say old enough, to take it on.

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