Elyounoussi ready to make banner headlines

A banner wrapped round Celtic’s training ground complex yesterday read: “We’re out here for you, be in there for us.”

It was a clear message to Neil Lennon’s squad that the club’s support will be willing their team with all their usual fervour in the crucial derby against Rangers despite not beinginattendanceatthestadium owing to Covid- 19 restrictions.

“They don’t need to do that,” said Mohamed Elyounoussi of the gesture. “We know they’re behind us. And they should know that we’re going to do everything in our power. But, of course, we appreciate it. And we’re going to take that feeling into the game. Everyone will prepare individually to give everything for the club, the team – andespecially the fans. Weappreciated these kind of things. But they should know we’ll give 100 per cent, either way.”

Thenorwegianinternational appreciates that the vibe in the derby will be entirely alien because of the empty stands at Celtic Park. “There’s going to be a big difference with not having fans there,” he said. “Obviously it’s still not safe to have them back, so it is what it is. We would love to have our fans back and behind us for any game – but especially this one. But it doesn’t change a lot of the football preparation. We’re prepared for the game. But obviously, from the emotional side, to have them behind us would be nice. I mean, I have to be honest, as a player, if there is a gamewheretheteamissitting deep and you’re trying to create something, youneedsomekind of a push. And the support can give you that push. They push you to go the extra mile, to create something.

“Football is about emotion, you know? Wetry to create that between ourselves onthepitch, with the performance. But it helps even more whenyou have stands full of supporters giving you that extra push. Yet you are so focused on the job. Even if we had 60,000 people there, I would still be focused on what’s happening on the pitch. I don’t really hear the noise, except when there’s a stop in the game. We can’t do anything about it. We can only focus on ourselves and the need to perform. We know that our fans are behind us, we know they’ll be watching the game from home – and that they are safe. That’s the most important thing.

"We know we have to fight for them and try to win the game for them.”