I’ll earn cap by hanging on to Celts’ Croat tails
ST JOHNSTONE v CELTIC JOZO SAYS NATIONAL BOSS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PASS HIM OVER
The 22-year- old centre-half has battled his way into Brendan Rodgers’ side after injury left him stuck on the sidelines for eight months.
Whether it’s Erik Sviatchenko or Dedryck Boyata beside him, Simunovic’s name appears to have been written on the Parkhead teamsheet in indelible ink.
And after what he has achieved at club level he now wants to do the same for his country.
A former captain of the Croatia Under-21 team, Simunvoic expected to continue his progress into the full national team.
His first season in the east end of Glasgow was plagued by injury so he had no complaints at being left out by gaffer Ante Cacic.
But fully fit and excelling under Rodgers since his return to action last September, the defender is determined to earn his first cap.
The ex- Dinamo Zagreb player will have to battle it out with veteran Vedran Corluka, Liverpool stopper Dejan Lovren and Dynamo Kiev’s Domagoj Vida for a Croatia jersey.
But Simunovic feels his Celtic form – which has seen him start 14 of 18 Premiership games since his comeback – merits a call from Cacic ahead of next month’s World Cup qualifier against Ukraine and a friendly with Estonia four days later.
He said: “I don’t know what the national manager thinks of me right now because no one has phoned me from Croatia.
“There was a chance last September to play for the Under-21s. We had a good chance to qualify for the Under-21 Euros in the summer. But I was very sad because the call didn’t come. I know why it didn’t but I’ll keep that to myself for now.
“I’m not disappointed but of course it’s my ambition to play for Croatia and be one of the main players for my country – that will always be my goal.
“I couldn’t expect it before because I wasn’t playing for my club. The first thing for me has to be Celtic – I have to be playing here to have a chance of being selected for Croatia.
“The next games are in March and I feel I have put myself in with a chance of playing.
“I believe that but we’ll need to wait and see what the manager thinks.
“The current centre-backs are Corluka from Lokomotiv Moscow, Vida at Dynamo Kiev and Lovren at Liverpool.
“With all the club matches I’ve had I feel I’m ready step up into the national team. I’m sure that will happen in the future – I’m expecting the call.
“Corluka is 31 now and maybe I can be the man to replace him. I believe that.
“Playing for my country means a lot to me because I was captain of the Under-21 side.
“I expected to continue with the full team. I signed for Celtic because I felt it would help me with that.
“But for sure one day the call will come and it will happen. Right now the most important thing is Celtic, playing well, breaking records and taking everything possible.
“Whether it’s tomorrow, two months, two years,