I’LL FOLLOW PREM
He’s in a Scotland squad now lit tered with Premier League stars.
And Ryan Christie wants to join them next season by helping his new club Bournemouth gain promotion in this campaign.
The midf ielder made the biggest decision of his career to leave Celtic this summer and head for the English Championship.
He could have stayed at Parkhead by signing a new contract at the Hoops.
He could even have gone straight into the Premier League with Burnley, who had agreed a fee for his services.
But the challenge of being one of Scott Parker’s key men at the Vitality Stadium in their quest for the top-flight made Christie’s mind up.
It gave him the chance to emulate several of his pals from the national team set-up.
Whenever he’d go away with
Scotland – most recently for the Euro 2020 finals and World Cup qualifiers – he’d listen to stories about their journey to England’s top flight.
The likes of skipper Andy Robertson at Liverpool, talisman John McGinn at Aston Villa and Kenny McLean and Grant Hanley at Norwich City, all started life in the Championship before reaching the promised land.
Christie wants to emulate them. He believes the Premier League is the best in the world.
By joining the Cherries, one of the favourites to go up, he’s convinced he can achieve it.
Along with Christie, Parker has an array of multi-million pound talent at his disposal, players such as Dominic Solanke, David Brooks, Philip Billing, Jefferson Lerma and Lewis Cook.
The 26-year- old, who helped his side beat Cardiff 1- 0 yesterday to move top of the Championship, told MailSport: “I’ve looked at boys like Robertson, McGinn and McLean who I train and play with for Scotland.
“They came to clubs in the Championship and managed to make their way to the Premier League. Look at them now.
“That’s the challenge for me, I want to do the same as them with Bournemouth.
“When people look at these boys now in the Prem, they forget how and where they started. They came down and got promoted.
Now everyone opens their eyes and realises how good they are.
“But I could have told you that McGinn was an unbelievable player when he was at Hibs.
“It’s like nobody believes you down here until you come down and do it.
“When I get to play with them for Scotland they rave about the league – they rate it so highly.
“That made the decision to leave Celtic easier for me.
“It’s exciting to be part of the squad at Bournemouth. In my first few days of training, I noticed right away how strong it was.
“We’ve got top players in every position, even more than what’s probably needed.
“I ’ ve ex per ienced tha t competition for places before and when you’ve got that – and
everyone is contributing – it makes for a good squad.
“Ever yone tel ls me how relentless the Championship is so I’m sure we’ll all be needed over the course of the next few months.
“They’ve let me settle in and fit in football wise, which has been great. And the atmosphere for my first start against QPR last week was very good.
“The stadium is small but it’s tight and close to the pitch so it holds an atmosphere well.
“The attendance count might not be the highest but, in terms of noise, it was excellent. It’s a good time to be here.”
The feelgood factor around Bournemouth right now is in stark contrast to what Christie endured in his final full season at Celtic. With the club geared up to make histor y and win 10-in-a-row, they capitulated and allowed Rangers to dethrone them as Premiership champions.
Boss Neil Lennon left the club with the title all but gone and the players – including Christie – got it in the neck from angry and let-down supporters.
He admits it was a difficult time for him personal ly and for everyone at Parkhead.
Christie knows his form dipped last term and the flak followed.
But he believes going through that turmoil has meant the Cherries have signed a better person and a better player.
Christie, who won two Trebles at Parkhead, said: “Last season was tough for everyone at Celtic, especial ly the fans and the players. We had dominated domestically for so long so when that changed it was always going to be a shock to the system.
“No one was expecting it. We were a l l desperate to do 10-in-a-row but it didn’t work out.
“Ever yone look s for a scapegoat but it’s unfair to blame one person. It didn’t happen for a number of reasons that all came together.
“We didn’ t achieve what we wanted to but it actually makes you stronger.
“It ’s a ma z i n g winning things but you normally become a better, more-rounded person when things don’t go your way.
“It was frustrating but
I learned a lot from it. I probably became a better person and a better player as a result.
“Of course, it affected me, in terms of how I and the team were playing. It’s hard for it not to.
“You’re in the football bubble that’s the Old Firm.
“Living in Glasgow, it’s 24/7 and it’s impossible to escape it.
“When things are going well, that can be a positive. When it’s not going your way it’s hard to turn off from it.
“People said to us when we were winning Trebles that it wouldn’t be appreciated until a few years down the line.
“I look forward to when that day comes, and people realise what an amazing time it was.
“We had a great team and I feel very fortunate that I was part of it.”