Hayes up for the fight with Forrest and Roberts to be the Parkhead wide Bhoy...
TALKING CELTIC
CELTIC winger Jonny Hayes has insisted that he is ready and willing to fight for his place at the club over the coming months.
Signed from Aberdeen this summer, Hayes has so far been in and out of the Hoops side and the return of Patrick Roberts to the club will ensure there remains ample competition in front of him with both Roberts and James Forrest competing for the position.
In the final weeks of the transfer window there were whispers that Hayes was set for a loan move to Cardiff, something that he was quick to refute.
And he believes that he has the necessary attributes to force his way into Brendan Rodgers’ side.
“You always know that when you are coming to a club of this size that you need to fight for your place,” he said.
“It was always going to take me a bit of time to get used to that and used to a new club.
“The competition here is fierce, of course it is. But that is why they are a club who are those weeks ks when the successful and winning so club will bee looking at much. You have people pushing three games es in seven one another all the time.” days.
And despite the fact that For the likes kes of Hayes Roberts will be a rival for the then, there e will be a position, Hayes was delighted HE demands of the Chamchance to come to the to see the English winger pions League, which kicks fore although ough the return to the club. off next Tuesday night for player himselfmself is
“I played against Patrick last Celtic against PSG, will mean eager to sample mple the year and he was outstanding,” that between now and Christatmospheree of the said Hayes. “That is what n.you mas, the Parkhead side will be big occasion. want. We are going h into the fighting a two-pronged attack on “Whether er Champions League, we want to domestic and European you’re a footootstay successful in Scotland and football. ball fan or r you want to have as strong a It is then that the full squad not, every- squad as you possibly can. will be expected to be used with body knows
“It doesn’t matter who players rested, particularly on about the would be here – there will always be competition for places. It’s about how you deal with that and how you look to raise your own game.”
Tatmosphere of Ch Champions League nights at CelticCe Park. I’d be lying if I saidsai I didn’t want a part of that.tha “They are such special nigh nights. I have watche watched them on te television and the place lo looks as th though it is ro rocking so it is what you want, really. It is w why you p play footb ball.They will be special nights and I can’t wait for them.”
Hayes was on the bench for Martin O’Neill’s Republic of Ireland side last night against Serbia – and he joked that O’Neill was looking for the rundown on life in Glasgow.
“I spoke to him a bit before the move but at that point really it was just speculation,” said Hayes. “He knows what it is like at Celtic and the pressure there is to go out and do the name of the club justice.
“The one thing about being in the Champions League is the amount of people asking me for tickets – I was just surprised he wasn’t joining the queue!”
FEW would give Celtic much hope against the might of PSG next week given the manner in which the French side have splashed outrageous sums on Neymar £198m from Barcelona and Kylian Mbappe – who has been taken on loan to get around Fifa’s financial fair play issues but who the club are obliged to fork out £165.5m for next summer.
Hayes, however, believes Celtic will never go into a game thinking of anything other than how to give a positive account of themselves.
And this weekend’s draw between France and Luxembourg in a World Cup qualifier will certainly have added credence to the theory that anything can be possible in a one-off game.
“The players in our dressing room have a particular kind of mentality,” said Hayes. “They have a belief in themselves but there is also a mental aspect to every game that is about winning, no matter the circumstances.
“A lot of that comes down from the manager but a lot also comes from the club and knowing the expectations.”