Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
‘United clash as big as any game’
HAMILTON’S Massimo Donati won the SPL, the League Cup and played in the Champions League in his time at Celtic but he insists the play-off against Dundee United is just as big.
The 36-year-old midfielder was part of the Celtic squad when t he Hoops won the title on the last day of the 2007/08 season with a 1-0 win over the Terrors at Tannadice, thanks to a Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink winner.
And during his two years at Celtic Park the Italian played in the Champions League against Shakhtar Donetsk, AC Milan, Benfica and Manchester United.
H ow ev e r, h e insists tonight and Sunday as occasions are just as big.
He said: “Yes they are, because for me, what I had in the past is in the past, it is done.
“Now I am just focused on these games and for me they are really important games and big games as well.
“It is important for me (to stay in the Premiership) but important for the other guys as well.
“This club has been in the Premiership a few years now and it is important for the young players to stay in the Premiership to show their talent.”
Donati, an unused substitute on the night the Hoops sealed the title at Tannadice, remembers the occasion f ondly and i s looking for another positive outcome with Hamilton tonight.
He said: “In my first season with Celtic we won the league at Tannadice.
“It was the last game of the season and, hopefully, it is a good place to go again.
“We know the two games are so important.
“We know we are playing against a good team who have had a good season so we are concentrating on doing a good job.”