GIVE ME A SHOT GAFFER
Stu’s stole spotlight and Moussa’s £40m man... now GMS is desperate to show Rodgers his skills
IN THE empty, echoing pitches of Lennoxtown this week, there would have been apt space for quiet contemplation.
It is not unusual for Celtic’s training ground to empty when the international calendar takes precedence over domestic affairs; from under-17s and up, there are a raft of players representing their country at various points of the globe.
Six senior players from Brendan Rodgers’ side were with Gordon Strachan this week, while those who are left behind have the opportunity for a breather from the pressures of a season in which Celtic continue to battle on three fronts.
Gary Mackay-Steven was one of those who had the chance for some time out.
It has been a difficult couple of weeks for the winger who hasn’t been glimpsed since Celtic’s Scottish Cup win over St Mirren, when he made way at the break after a tough 45 minutes in which, by his manager’s admission, nothing came off for him in the game.
Mackay-Steven has made just nine appearances across all competitions for Celtic this term, a fact in part due to a summer that was hindered by injury but also because of those in front of him.
He remains, however, committed to forcing his way into Rodgers’ plans and has maintained that there is no thought on his part at the minute of considering anything else.
There was a suggestion of a loan move to the Highlands with Ross County in January, only for the club to knock it back.
“I just want to keep my head down and keep working,” he said. “The manager hasn’t been anything other than great with me.
“He is always talking to us, always explaining what he is doing. I have no issue with anything.
“It is just up to me to show what I can in training and then take that into games whenever I get the chance.”
Mackay-Steven arrived at Celtic in January 2015 in the latter days of the winter transfer window with fellow Dundee United team-mate Stuart Armstrong. Christened Zig and Zag by their new colleagues at Lennoxtown, the pair made a quick impact before tailing off quite suddenly.
And in recent months the trajectory of their respective careers has followed significantly different paths.
While Mackay-Steven has really struggled to impress himself upon the starting XI, Arm- strong, by contrast, has become one of the pivotal cogs in the heart of the Celtic midfield in recent times.
The 24-year-old has been one of the success stories this season for the Parkhead side, with his 12 goals from the central pastures underlining his worth to Rodgers, above.
And there is nothing but pleasure on Mackay-Steven’s part at watching his old Tannadice mate propel himself into the spotlight.
“If anybody deserves it, it is Stuart,” he said. “I know him well and I know how hard he works.
“He is always at it, always trying to learn, to get better and you can see that this season the manager was prepared to give him his chance.
“He has taken it and I am not surprised at how well he has done because he we have always known what he has to offer.
“I am just delighted to watch him flourish the way he has this season. There is a lot there for us all to take from too.
“Stuart wasn’t playing every week when the campaign just began but he was patient and he kept at it and you have to take a lot of encouragement to where he is now.
“He is absolutely flying now and it is brilliant to see.”
IF ARMSTRONG has been one of the understated stories that have unfolded as the season has progressed, Moussa Dembele’s has been far more notable.
The striker’s goals and performances across all competitions have brought scouts from across Europe to take in his displays for the club.
The 20-year-old has had a quiet couple of weeks, by his own standards, but the 32 goals that he scored so far have made him the man of the moment for much of the campaign.
Chelsea made inquiries as to
the players’ availability back in January and the expectation is that they, along with others, will make a more forceful knock on the door t his summer.
Mackay-Steven believes that the Hoops support should simply savour the sight of the player banging in the goals for as long as they can.
“It is one of those things that you never really know what it is going on or what will happen,” he said.
“That is really up to Moussa and up to the club to decide what happens next but for us as players and for the supporters, I think you just have to enjoy having him.
HE ADDED: “He is an outstanding player. He is so calm on the ball. “And he is just a really laidback guy.
“Nothing seems to get to him, in terms of pressure before big games or anything like that. He just seems to have a natural temperament for going on and playing football, no matter what is at stake in the biggest of games.
“We feel lucky to have him. He was an outstanding signing for the club and you have seen that this season with the quality of performances that he has produced.
“It will be between him and the club what his long-term future is but I hope that he is here for as long as possible be-
Armstrong wasn’t playing regularly at the start of this season’s campaign but he was patient and he is absolutely flying now and it’s so brilliant to see