CHRISTIE BUSINESS Fringe man hoping cameo lands him new deal

RYAN CHRISTIE is hoping his Murrayfield magic will help him avoid a Parkhead disappearing act.

The Scotland squad man has been waiting for his big chance for the Hoops since he arrived from Inverness a couple of seasons ago – and he took it in style yesterday with a brilliant second half in the 3-0 romp over Hearts.

His appearances have been few and far between with 18 months on loan at Aberdeen and a contract ticking down to completion in the summer.

Christie knows time is running out to stay with the champions – so he was thrilled to steal the show as

Celts steamrollered the Jambos to reach the Betfred Cup final.

Chucked on at half-time for the injured Oliver Ntcham, the 23-year-old was well aware the spotlight was on him to make an impression.

His stunning goal for the third only put the tin hat on his best 45 minutes for the club and he had a decent claim for the second if James Forrest was feeling charitable.

Christie will let his Parkhead pal keep the goal – it’s a new deal he’d rather be handed. He said: “We’re still talking. I don’t know where it will go from here but we’ll see in a few weeks. I am of course hopeful.

“I love playing for Celtic, I love being at this football club. I won’t be looking elsewhere until it’s sorted.

“It’s what I’m looking to do, to make an impact when I get my chance.

“I had enough experience. But I think obviously with the injuries we’ve had, I’ve been fortunate in that it’s been forcing the gaffer’s hand a little bit to play me.

“I think it shows how well the gaffer’s been training us tactically that everyone can mould into a different position and a different formation and still be calm on the ball and dominate games.

“Looking forward, I’ve come to the realisation that I just need to take it game by game and do as well as I can every time I get a chance and see where it takes me.

“Obviously, I still feel I’ve got plenty of impact to make at Celtic and that’s what I’ll looking to do. The manager was pleased.

“I’ve just been trying to get that goal and hopefully I can push on from here.

“I’d be happy to keep playing that position.

“The people I have playing around me, it’s brilliant and really helps me going forward. It doesn’t matter to me where I play.”

Christie’s manager Brendan Rodgers (inset) last night backed Ryan Christie for a long-term future at Celtic after his semi-final heroics.

Christie has struggled for gametime since returning from 18 months on loan at Aberdeen and his contract expires at the end of this term, but the Celtic manager insists he’s keen to tie him up.

Rodgers said: “Ryan was just sensational. He’s someone that, of course, we would look to commit to.

“The club have been talking to his representatives, but I’m not aware of any movement.

“He is in his last year, but we have had other players like Stuart Armstrong.

“My focus is on making them better as players, giving them a future here to be involved and be a part of. Hopefully then the other stuff can sort itself out.

“Ryan is definitely a player that we would love to keep. He is a fantastic player. You saw his contribution.

“He is at a really good age, so he can make a valuable contribution to this team.”