Lustig wants to make it decade of glory
After clinching seven-in-a-row you can’t blame Celtic’s stars for starting to contemplate the prospect of 10.
But Hoops defender Mikael Lustig has revealed he first thought about that target after just ONE league title.
Now the big Swede is just three crowns away from the golden number.
He’s in with the bricks at Parkhead and Lustig is well aware of the significance of 10-in-a-row. That’s why, even at 31, he’s got his eye on it.
When he arrived from Rosenborg in January 2012, the full-back was thrown into a side that were 12 points adrift of champions Rangers.
But not only did he get his hands on the trophy that season he has held it aloft every year since.
He’ll party with his team-mates after today’s final Premiership game against Aberdeen, having wrapped up their seventh successive triumph weeks ago.
And Lustig would love to be at Celtic Park long enough to cap off a decade of glory by making it a perfect 10.
The Swedish international, who has won 12 trophies at Parkhead, said: “I was first made aware of what 10-in-a-row meant after the first title. That’s when I first thought about doing it.
“Seriously, everyone at this club knows what achieving it would mean to the fans. But, of course, we have to take it one trophy at a time.
“Hopefully we can strengthen again in the summer. We have a brilliant manager and can go on from here.
“Winning 10 titles has crossed my mind. But the older I get, I realise I have to take it season by season.
“Hopefully I can hang on in there and reach the 10. When I signed in 2012, we were 12 behind Rangers so it’s amazing now to have won seven-in-a-row.
“You never tire of winning trophies, especially with the support we have.
“Last season was unbel ievable, winning the Treble and breaking records. But the fans still want more.
“That’s a good thing because as players we can never be satisfied. If we lose against Motherwell in the Scottish Cup Final next week, it would be regarded as a bad season compared to last year – even though we’d have still won a double.
“But that’s the expectations at this club. If we lose the final it will probably leave a bad taste in the mouth.”
It’s those kind of standards that have made Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic team so successful.
Lustig knows how important it is for the current crop of players to etch their names in the club’s history.
Their immediate goal is to clinch a double Treble next week at Hampden – a feat that has never been done before.
The Swede said: “If we manage it I don’t think we’ll realise just how important it is until a few years down the line.
“Right now, we just want to win the Scottish Cup. Last year people asked if we could go a whole season without losing a game – and we did it.
“Now people are saying we can do another Treble and I think we can. It’s positive pressure.
“Doing it last year has given us a lot of confidence to do it again.
“I know about the history of this club. We’ve had wonderful teams and players over the years. But it can be difficult because some people will always say you aren’t as good as teams from the past.
“We just have to keep getting better and write our place in its history.”
Lustig has one year left on his Celtic deal but wants to stay on at Parkhead. He’s one of Rodgers’ most experienced players and will be a key figure for Sweden at this summer’s World Cup.
Some Hoops punters want to see the right-back area strengthened especially after Lustig suffered an Achilles injury this season that resulted in a few belowpar performance.
But he’s now fighting fit and ready for any challenge.
He said: “I’m starting to feel good again. I had problems with the Achilles in January and had to take two weeks off.
“It has been a long season but I’ve felt great lately. I talk to the manager about my fitness and getting rest.
“But even as I get old I want to play in every game for Celtic. Of course, you need to be smart especially when there are big matches coming up.”
The injury certainly didn’t bother Lustig a fortnight ago when Celtic cl inched the seventh title with a thumping 5- 0 win over Rangers.
And the big question is, during the celebrations after today’s game with Aberdeen, w i l l he be g rabbing another policeman’s helmet from one of Glasgow’s finest?
A laughing Lustig said: “No, no. That’s probably the last time I will do it.
“I didn’t get into trouble but they weren’t happy about it. Thankfully our security guy spoke to the police and smoothed it over.”