Gary left feeling so glad to be a medal pro
WITH all due respect to the staff and pupils of Thurso High School, the medal Gary Mackay-Steven will collect on May 24 will mean that little bit more.
Becoming a league champion with Celtic is a breakthrough moment for the 24-year-old. The first trophy success of a career that encompassed a frustrating period of youth football with Liverpool before restorative stints at Airdrie and Dundee United.
Not since his formative days in Caithness, he recalled with a grin, had he been able to call himself a winner of silverware.
To Mackay- Steven, the title success of Ronny Deila’s side vindicates the decision he made in February to switch to Parkhead.
Previously, his heart had been set on a move t o England, following the path taken by former Tannadice colleagues Andrew Robertson and Johnny Russell.
That was, however, before the opportunities available at Celtic prompted a radical re-think.
‘When I knew there was definite interest from Celtic, this was the only place I wanted to come,’ recalled Mackay- Steven. ‘ The draw of Celtic as a whole is so big, it’s a massive club, something I have realised now. I know I made the right decision.
‘England is a place where a lot of people want to play their football. There is a lot to look forward to down there, a lot of big clubs, but Celtic is such a draw.
‘For example, the atmosphere in the two Inter Milan games is something I don’t think could be replicated at too many other clubs in the world, not just in Scotland or England.
‘Winning trophies is what I’ve wanted to do. I’ve got my first one now and I want more next season. The mentality here is that second best is not good enough. You have to win every time you step out on to that pitch. I’m happy to buy into that.
‘I have to go back to school to the last time I won a cup. I think I would have been in second year at Thurso High School and it was something like the North Highland Cup. I got a runners-up medal in the Scottish Cup with United. So to get a l eague medal i s so important for me. I have a big chance at Celtic to get more.
‘The first aim was to win the league and get into Europe. But, looking forward, the Champions League is the pinnacle and we know that is achievable if we come back and do well in the qualifiers.
‘That is what everyone, from the manager down to the boys, wants to do. We want to bring the Champions League back to the club.’
The fact Mackay- Steven and Stuart Armstrong adapted so quickly to life at Celtic was a relevant factor in Deila’s team getting over the line with three games to spare.
It took a mere 38 seconds of the winger’s debut for a goal to arrive, as he found the net against Partick Thistle at Firhill. Mackay-Steven then showed he could handle the step up to continental competition by impressing against Inter in the first leg of that Europa League tie.
‘ That was an unbelievable experience,’ he recalled. ‘We did well in the first leg, the atmosphere was incredible. I felt we had a chance going over there and circumstances meant the match changed when we went down to 10 men.
‘But the boys still came so close to pulling it off. We could hold our heads up and know we can compete with the likes of Inter Milan or anyone like that. Hopefully, we can get to the Champions League and show that we can do well.
‘I have obviously been delighted with how it has turned out. My main aim was to hit the ground running, know what the manager wants, how they play, get in the team and get to know the boys and their style of play.
‘I feel I’ve done that. I wanted to contribute so it’s been nice, I’m delighted to be here and now can’t wait for next season.
‘It was important to make an instant impact. When there is so much competition for places then any chance you get, you want to grab it with both hands.
‘The European games gave me a little taste and I now want more. That’s the goal for next season; to get more European football back here.’
Mackay-Steven has not taken a straightforward path to reach this point. Injuries ruined any chance of progression when a teenager at Liverpool, with a spell of training at Fulham preceding his return to Scotland.
Joining Airdrie provided the exposure he needed. Six months was enough to persuade United that he was ready for top-flight football and Mackay- Steven’s three-and-a-half years at Tannadice were unquestionably a success, delivering a first senior Scotland cap.
So there was a neat twist in United’s defeat of Aberdeen last Saturday confirming Celtic’s fourth successive Premiership crown.
‘It’s been a strange journey for me to get here,’ he admitted. ‘But it’s such a big club and there is so much to achieve. I’ve got to roll with it and keep a smile on my face.
‘ I was seeing my sister in Edinburgh when I heard we were champions. I was watching the scores come in and we also have a group chat between all the boys at Celtic, so it was a nice feeling to know we had won the league.
‘I think it was Craig Gordon who first said we were the champions when the final whistle had gone. It was a strange feeling, but the reason I came here was to win trophies, to win the league.
‘It was nice that my old club did us a turn. For United to get the three points was a big thing and, hopefully, they can kick on until the end of the season.
‘I think the party here will wait until we get the actual trophy. We have three games to come and want to show why we are champions and keep doing well.’