Barry Ferguson has questioned Fashion Sakala's comments ahead of this weekend's League Cup final.
The Zambian frontman referred to Celtic as "the other mob" as he discussed Rangers' chances heading into the game and the comment has since gone viral.
Ferguson has now questioned Sakala's respect for his opponents and he fears that his choice of words could come back to bite him.
He told GO Radio: “I always respected, always, that went out the window when you crossed the white line but I think you have got to give respect.
“If you are not respectful, nine times out of 10 you are going to get a slap in the face, so it’s interesting to see what Sakala has said.”
Sakala has thanked Rangers manager Michael Beale for restoring his confidence and helping a new generation of aspiring Zambian footballers believe “nothing is impossible”.
Sakala’s Rangers career looked to be fading away when he only started one of their first 16 games of the season under Giovanni van Bronckhorst but he quickly established himself as a key player when Beale took charge during the World Cup break.
The forward started and scored in Beale’s first game against Hibernian and has never looked back.
The people of his home village, Chizimati, and elsewhere in his native country have been inspired by his story and there will be keen interest in the African nation on Sunday’s Viaplay Cup final when Rangers take on Celtic.
“It’s such a huge story,” the 25-year-old said. “I see myself as a role model to a lot of Zambian players, young players especially.
“For them looking at me playing for Rangers every week, it means a lot to them knowing that nothing is impossible.
“Because in the beginning of the season it looked as if ‘oh no, he is not playing, this and that, he might leave’.
“But I kept on working extra hard and they see now I am playing consistently. It’s something that has shown a very big impact and the people appreciate it a lot. Playing for Rangers is not easy, every player is fighting for a position, it shows how hard-working I am.”
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