I get bored on a beach so I’m fine giving up my summer for Scotland
SAYS RYAN CHRISTIE
I need to push on and keep my form at a high level
THE coming months could well prove pivotal for Ryan Christie in terms of his future with both club and country. Little wonder, then, that the 23-year-old has no great desire to spend time idling on a beach.
Christie hopes to get in at ground level on Alex McLeish’s new Scotland era by winning a second cap in tomorrow evening’s friendly against Costa Rica. A trip to face Hungary in Budapest follows next Tuesday, before matters of national service are shelved until the much-debated end-of-season trip to take on Peru and Mexico.
Those fixtures, on May 29 and June 2 respectively, will obviously impact on the length of summer break for all involved. And, for Christie, the situation could become pretty acute.
The attacking midfielder hopes to help Aberdeen reach the Scottish Cup final by overcoming Motherwell next month — although he would only be able to play in the May 19 showpiece if parent club Celtic lost to Rangers in the other semi-final.
No matter how that scenario pans out, Christie’s ambitions would then switch towards making a positive impression on Brendan Rodgers. Entering the final year or his Parkhead contract, it will be a now-or-never scenario for the former Inverness Caley Thistle player.
A ten-point lead at the Premiership summit means it is all but certain that Celtic will be starting an extended Champions League qualification campaign on July 10 or 11. Pre-season training is therefore likely to begin around the third week in June.
Put all those factors together and Christie could be left with minimal time off. When the topic of Peru and Mexico was raised, however, he made it clear he would not complain about having to carry on playing. Unlike some more established colleagues, Christie has a reputation to build.
‘It will be a very busy period but, to be fair, it’s the games you want to play in,’ he said of the potential summer schedule. ‘Obviously, the Scottish Cup final sits at the end of the season. With the big qualifiers for Celtic and the European stage, it’s a bit strange that it comes so early for us, but it’s games you want to be part of and want to play in.
‘When you look at it like that, it doesn’t really matter what time of the season it is.
‘To be fair, that’s the way football is going now. You see the top professionals churning out 60 games a season and they don’t complain about it, so I don’t feel I should either.
‘Do I not want to lie on a beach? It’s a nice thought, but you end up going over there and, after four days, you’re bored.
‘It’s not too bad, especially when you’re playing football come summertime. Pitches are nice and the sun is out, so there is less to complain about than there is right now.’
An intelligent presence on and off the park, Christie does not hide from the fact he is approaching a very significant period in his career. ‘I need to realise that and make sure my level stays as high as possible,’ he admitted. ‘I need to really push on. Personally, I need to make sure that I try to keep my form as high as I can for Aberdeen and see where that takes me.’
Speaking earlier this month, Rodgers said the plan was still for Christie to return and be ‘reintegrated’ to the Celtic set-up after 18 months of first-team action at Pittodrie. He is unwilling to let Aberdeen turn that arrangement into a permanent transfer.
‘I know Celtic will be keeping an eye on me week-in, week-out so I need to make sure I’m playing as well as I can,’ continued the player.
‘Hopefully, when I go back after the summer, I will have confidence after a full season of games, knowing that I can hopefully go in and fit into that Celtic squad.
‘As far as I know, I just need to report to Celtic for pre-season and we will take it from there.
‘Obviously, I’m not really thinking that far ahead right now. I’m just focusing on doing as well as I can for Aberdeen in the run-in. I’m excited about that. It should be an exciting finish to the season.’
He has just as much enthusiasm for the forthcoming Scotland assignments. McLeish has made it clear the largely youthful squad which gathered at Norton House hotel this week is in pole position to secure involvement in the Nations League and Euro 2020 qualifiers. The challenge is obvious. Christie is part of a new generation who have no recollection of Scotland at a major finals since 1998.
‘I was born in 1995, so I would have been three,’ he said. ‘It’s frustrating for the whole nation. It’s something that needs to be changed and it’s in our hands to change it and, hopefully, get this nation to a competition. It would be a pretty big feat.
‘The manager spoke about it on Sunday night. It is a chance to make history. Sometimes, you don’t really realise that when you’re playing at the time. You need to realise the opportunity you have and hopefully grasp it.
‘Where do I see myself in 2020? Playing football week-in, week-out — and if I’m still part of the national set-up, I’ll be absolutely delighted. Hopefully, we are qualifying for an international tournament.
‘The manager has also said that with Hampden Park being one of the host venues (for Euro 2020), it would be even nicer to make this the time we get to a competition.’