Ryan was catching ray
CELTIC Christie admits he missed Invincibles’ Hampden heroics to go on holiday in the sun
RYAN Christie might have been the only Celtic fan who wanted to flee the country before the climax of the club’s historic Invincibles season.
As Brendan Rodgers’ side turned up at the national stadium looking to make a little bit of history by going through the entire season unbeaten, Christie was looking for a ticket out rather than one in.
Having spent the latter stages of the season on loan at Aberdeen, Christie was ineligible to play at Hampden in what would become an epic 90 minutes as Tom Rogic netted a dramatic last-gasp winner as lightning lit up the Mount Florida skyline (inset, below).
Christie, though, was sunning himself in a different Florida.
“Not being able to play in the Scottish Cup final during my first loan spell was frustrating,” he admitted. “It was the last game of the season and it’s one that all players want to be involved in.
“That was unfortunate, but I’d agreed when I signed the loan deal. You never really think about it and then the two teams meet in the final and you think, ‘Oh...’ But it was a strange situation on the day.
“I actually went on holiday to Florida early – just to get away from the game. I had no clue about where I would be sitting, what suit I was meant to wear or anything. So I just thought, ‘I’m getting out of here’ and I went to the other side of the world.
“I watched it on TV and it felt really strange as I didn’t know who to support and what was going on. But hopefully there are more finals to come and I will get the chances.”
Having signed a new three-year contract with Rodgers’ side, Christie has every reason to be optimistic. Having emerged from what was a turbulent start to the season Celtic look to be showing a fresh pair of heels as they seek to raise the bar. Christie has come to the fore in recent games – his performance against RB Leipzig in the Europa League last week was his best display in a Celtic shirt – and the 23-year-old is inevitably keen to leave his stamp on the club.
As the success of recent seasons is stamped on the consciousness of the club’s support – with posters encircling the stadium and last season’s open-top bus parade caught forever in an iconic snapshot – Christie wants his own moment in the sun.
“In the short term, I just want to kick on and keep my place in starting XI,” he said. “I want to keep making an impact when I can.
‘‘ I want to have a proper impact on this club, winning silverware
“Long term, I want to have a proper impact on this club, winning silverware. When you are growing up as a kid, that’s what you want to do.
“You dream about winning trophies and Celtic is an incredible club to do that at. There is the chance to win trophies every year and to be part of that would be very special.
“You see the photos around the stadium of winning teams and I want to make my mark. The boys have been incredible in the last few season, creating history. Personally, I want to help that and bring more trophies to the club. It’s a great period for the club and it’s exciting to be part of it.
“It is a little bit difficult when you are at another club and you see the success Celtic had. To be fair, I loved my time at Aberdeen so it wasn’t too bad looking on and feeling like I was missing out. I was enjoying my football a lot up there and that has helped me come back as a