I’LL PROVE MY WORTH TO HOOPS
LEWIS MORGAN is adamant he won’t freeze and end up out in the cold at Celtic.
The 21-year-old is gearing up for the start of the competitive action having made his debut in the warm-up games in Austria.
Morgan believes he can go from the Championship with St Mirren to the Champions League with Celtic – with a Scotland spot also in his sights.
Parkhead can be an unforgiving place and history is littered with classy players who were simply unable to cut it at the highest levels.
Expectation and pressure and can suppress even the biggest talents but Morgan isn’t fazed.
He said: “I believe in myself and that I can make an impact at this level. I’ve got great players around me who will help me bed in.
“I need to go and show what I can do and prove why I’m here to the people who maybe don’t know why I was brought here.
“I’ve just got to perform the way I did previously.
“That’s the reason I’m here and why the manager wanted me. I’ve got to improve but I’ll keep playing my style of play.
“This is a massive club. You’ve got to respect that but at the same time I’ve got to be confident in my own ability that I can make an impact.
“The Champions League excites me as it’s the pinnacle of club football. It will be a wee bit alien to me but it’s something I’ve been looking forward to from the moment I signed.
“The money in football now means the draw is always going to be tough if we get to the group stage.
“You saw the Europa League last season and the kind of teams that were in that and I don’t think there is such a thing as an easy draw or a favourable draw.
“It’s about doing what we can and concentrating on ourselves but I always had the ambition to play at this level but didn’t think it would come this quickly.
“You’ve always got to be looking at the bigger stage and taking that next step.
“Being involved in competitive games for Scotland would be great but I’m focused on Celtic and making sure I’m involved in their games.”
As well as the tensions Morgan will also have a gruelling schedule.
Players at Parkhead made over 60 appearances last term but it’s another challenge he feels he can meet head on.
Morgan said: “The manager sees me as an important player if I can really prove myself.
“He wants me to push on and it’s pleasing to hear he has trust in me.”