STAYING POWER

Christie vows to nail down Celts spot

FOR three years now, the question of Ryan Christie’s suitability to Celtic has remained unanswered. Not before time, a resolution is now in the post.

A former Young Player of the Year, his switch to Celtic in 2015 from Inverness coincided with myriad acquisitions in the various positions he can play.

His displays throughout two loan spells at Aberdeen suggested he could yet make the breakthrough with his parent club. But without adequate opportunities, there was no way of truly knowing.

Possibly more through accident than design, the 23-year-old will soon offer clarity to all interested parties.

Explaining his side of the story surrounding Moussa Dembele after the victory over Rangers last Sunday, Brendan Rodgers name-checked Christie as a likely beneficiary of the Frenchman’s stormy departure.

A renowned improver of players through his work with them on the training ground, the Celtic manager sees a role for Christie as relief for Odsonne Edouard and Leigh Griffiths as the season gathers pace.

Out of contract next summer, the player does not intend to let the chance pass him by.

‘It sounds a bit selfish, but I’m hoping that him (Dembele) leaving opens up an opportunity for me and it’s then up to me to take it,’ said Christie (below).

‘A lot of people speak about the number of games we have to play and we’re delighted to be in the Europa League, but that means another six midweek matches before Christmas.

‘I’m sure the manager will be calling on everyone in the squad, so then it will be down to what I do.

‘This season can help nail down my future at Celtic and breaking into the team is all I’ve been thinking about. I’d be delighted if I can stay at Celtic long-term, but first things first — I need to play more games.’

If a cameo role against Suduva suggested his wish may soon be granted, being trusted to see out the final 13 minutes against Rangers was a serious demonstration of Rodgers’ faith in his attributes. The floor is now his.

‘Hopefully, that’s going to be the case,’ he added. ‘My aim, since I came back, has been to break into the team, so I’ll take a lot of belief from the last couple of games.

‘I came on at important times during the game against Rangers and the Europa League play-off against Suduva, so I can take something from that.

‘It shows that the manager has faith in me, so now it’s up to me to prove my worth.

‘I wasn’t too sure what would happen when I reported back for pre-season training, but I was completely focused on getting back into the side.

‘The manager pulled me aside and told me that he believed I had a place in this squad and that was enough for me to give it a right go and fight for my place.

‘It helped me that he thinks I’m good enough to play for Celtic. I believe that, too, and hopefully he sees that.’

An attacking midfielder to trade, the irony is that Christie seems more likely to be deployed in a more advanced role.

As befits any good all-rounder, though, the challenge doesn’t daunt him.

‘I’ve been pushed up front a couple of times during my career and I quite enjoy it because it means there’s less defensive work to do,’ he explained. ‘Again, that was something the gaffer told me this summer, that he could see me playing up there. I feel quite comfortable playing anywhere across the frontline, so I’ll be happy to do that.’ Bluntly, after too many days of inactivity, he’d play anywhere. Coming back from Aberdeen, where he was one of the first names on the team-sheet, to a club where he was some way down the pecking order was mentally challenging. ‘It is,’ he agreed. ‘I was lucky enough to play most weeks at Aberdeen. So it’s something I’ve got to adjust to. ‘I kind of had that at the back of my head. At Celtic, there are so many good players that it’s so hard to play every week. ‘That’s something you have to deal with. It makes me hungrier to express how good I am.’ Last Sunday laid bare the standard he must aspire to. After the most trying of weeks, Rodgers’ big-game players — Scott Brown, Kieran Tierney, Callum McGregor and Olivier Ntcham among them — again delivered when it mattered.

‘That goes back to consistency,’ said Christie. ‘At Celtic, there’s so much pressure on us and a demand to win every week.

‘With that, you need to be at the top of your game every single week. That’s something you need to have in your game that other players at others clubs may not need to have.’

Christie played his part in the victory, though. Connor Goldson, the Rangers defender, felt his opponent made the most of a challenge on the edge of the box as the clock ran down. Unsurprisingly, the Celtic man begs to differ.

‘Goldson was right in my face, wasn’t he?’ said Christie. ‘I haven’t watched it again but, from what I can remember, I’m pretty sure he pulled my shirt. I didn’t dive.’

Nor does Christie feel, as some people do, that engaging in a lap of honour at the end was excessive.

He added: ‘We just wanted to thank the fans for their support.’