No regret for Erik over Foxes snub
“I know that I’m an important player here. I wasn’t worried”
The opening weeks of 2017 brought a reminder of the fickle nature of football for erik Sviatchenko. The performances of the Celtic centre-back under manager Brendan Rodgers had been impressive enough to catch the eye of Leicester City during the January transfer window.
After offering the english champions no encouragement, the Denmark international defender then went from barely putting a foot wrong to being in and out of the Celtic team thanks to a tackle he made nine months ago.
Booked for clattering Dean Shiels in the Scottish Cup semi-final loss to Rangers last April, Sviatchenko found himself suspended for this season’s fourth-round tie against Albion Rovers in Airdrie.
Dedryck Boyata came in as his replacement, excelled in the 3-0 win and has kept his place since. Despite being pleased for Boyata, spending time on the sidelines for the first time in his career has been frustrating, although an injury to Jozo Simunovic in training allowed Sviatchenko to start the 2-0 win against hamilton last weekend.
his display earned warm praise from Rodgers and the 25-year-old will now be doing all he can to retain his manager’s favour.
‘I hadn’t done anything wrong (to be dropped), but there was a suspension held over from last season that we weren’t aware of,’ Sviatchenko recalled.
‘But I always have the utmost respect for the team, even if someone is there at my expense.
‘Dedryck Boyata has always been an exceptional player. And it’s always good when you see players who haven’t been in the team but who have been working hard getting a game again.
‘he was out of the side for a long time and no one really thought he would have another chance here. But his displays have lifted all of us. It’s been really nice to see.
‘It was the first time in my career I had been on the bench, but it would be too easy to say: “That’s football — my time is up here”. I was not worried because I believe in my qualities.
‘The manager hadn’t been playing me regularly before that just for fun. I know that I’m an important player here.
‘I wanted to work hard and be ready to take my chance — and I took it. I think I showed against hamilton I can still play.
‘After being out, I now have a better perspective. hopefully, I will be in the team from now on.’
The runaway Premiership leaders are looking to make it 22 consecutive league wins when they travel to face an on-form Inverness tonight.
Caley Thistle, who beat Rangers at home on Friday, are the only team to take a point off Celtic this season thanks to their 2-2 draw in the highlands in September.
Sviatchenko and his teammates are now unbeaten in 32 domestic matches, having long since zoomed past the record of 27 games unbeaten at the start of a season set by Jock Stein’s all-conquering side of 1966/67.
The Dane admits the prospect of going the full season unbeaten — and creating fresh history — is an enticing one.
‘It is a big incentive,’ he said. ‘It is not something that we said was a target, but the closer we get, it can become a target.
‘It is something that we would remember — and be remembered for — because it’s a big thing.
‘We have already made history once this season, so why not again? But it’s too early to say that. We don’t talk about it yet.
‘There are tough games to come and every team we face will do as much as they can to stop our unbeaten run.
‘It means as much to them to stop us as it means to us to keep it going. We need our ‘A’ game going in every game.’
The prospect of making history with Celtic and then playing again in the Champions League next season was enough for Sviatchenko to turn down the english champions when they made their unexpected overture in January.
It proved a lucky escape, with Claudio Ranieri sacked last week despite making Leicester the most unlikely english champions of all time. ‘There was concrete interest, but not a concrete offer,’ said Sviatchenko.
‘Was it Leicester? Yes. But there was never an issue about me wanting to leave Celtic.
‘I’m 25, I want to play regularly and here is the perfect place to flourish.
‘It is a dream for every player, including myself, to play at the very top level and I would say the english Premier League is one of the highest levels.
‘But given the experience here so far with the Champions League and how we play, I am at the right stage at the moment.
‘The Champions League nights have been the biggest of my career so far and I would like to experience more of them.’