ERIK AIMS TO BANISH HAMPDEN HORROR

Transformation in fortunes at Celtic has Sviatchenko switched on to boss Rodgers’ modern way of thinking

ERIK SVIATCHENKO returns to the scene of his Celtic debut this afternoon and admits that, just ten months on from his first look at Hampden, he feels he is operating in a transformed environment. Newly signed and short of match fitness following the winter shutdown in his native Denmark, Sviatchenko was pitched into last season’s League Cup semi-final against Ross County following the ordering off of Efe Ambrose.

When the defender entered the pitch Celtic were leading 1-0. By the time he trudged off they had lost 3-1, a chorus of boos was ringing in his ears and he had just cause to wonder what he had let himself in for.

‘That was a bit embarrassing, especially with it being my first game,’ recalls the 25-year-old. ‘I had been warned that the expectation levels were huge here, so it was a massive disappointment.’

The defeat ended Celtic’s hopes of a treble and marked the beginning of the end for Ronny Deila who, just ten days earlier, had sanctioned the £1.5million purchase of Sviatchenko from Midtjylland.

Now, with Celtic rejuvenated under Brendan Rodgers and the League Cup itself having been given a reboot for the new season, Sviatchenko has an early opportunity to get his hands on the trophy that slipped away on day one.

Derek McInnes’ Aberdeen may be heading to Glasgow in bullish mood and keen to exploit any residual fatigue from Celtic’s battle with Barcelona but Sviatchenko warns that Celtic are not the brittle proposition of old.

‘It’s like night and day now,’ he continues. ‘I can’t even remember what happened back in January because so many great things have happened since.

‘It’s just so much different now — two worlds to be honest. One thing is how we play but also socially, people are really helping each other off the pitch, they are getting close to one another and that is a really important thing the manager did when he came in.

‘He combined everything, brought everyone together and people now want to do the best for each other. The positivity in the squad shines from everyone — that has been a big change.

‘And it’s the way we play as well. We are the best team when we go on the pitch now, when last season we could go behind and struggle after 70 minutes.’

The improvement affected by Rodgers was not instantaneous. The former Liverpool coach may have restored Champions League football to the agenda but a 7-0 drubbing on the opening night in the Nou Camp reminded players and supporters alike that there was much to be done.

Rodgers has been restless in his quest for improvement and, as the La Liga champions visited Glasgow for the return fixture in midweek, there was palpable evidence that this team is learning quickly.

‘We were much more prepared for Barcelona this time,’ says Sviatchenko. ‘We are still a team coming together but we are building something for the future. I could see great things happening on Wednesday.

‘Look, against the best players in the world you are going to be troubled, but we’ve come a long way. People are really buying into the idea of how the manager wants to play — with a lot of intensity, to dominate games.

‘We know we can do that domestically but can we do it on the big stage in Europe? We are trying. The manager is always talking about how the collective needs to shine and then individuals will show their best qualities.’

Although Deila’s successive failures to take the club into the Champions League meant he was quite possibly doomed regardless of his domestic record, the Norwegian was not aided by circumstances within his defence.

Forced to replace both halves of the Virgil van Dijk/Jason Denayer partnership that had served him so well during an at times promising debut season, Deila first signed Jozo Simunovic from Dinamo Zagreb before adding Sviatchenko in his final transfer window.

A serious cartilage injury to the former meant he was never able to field the two as a partnership.

The two finally started together against Kilmarnock on September 24 and it appears Rodgers has since decided that, even with Kolo Toure available, they represent the future bedrock of this Celtic team.

Faced with Barcelona’s feted front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar, the duo looked more than competent on their maiden Champions League outing in midweek.

Messi may have prevailed to score the double that recorded a 2-0 victory for the Catalans but some sharp and forceful defending ensured the Scottish champions remained competitive deep into the match.

‘I’m comfortable whoever I’m playing alongside, whether it’s Jozo or Kolo,’ says Sviatchenko. ‘It’s also about fitness. We need to take care of Jozo because of his time out and Kolo who has also been coming back from an injury.’

Whoever is selected will be intent on trying to extend an impressive sequence of 688 domestic minutes without conceding a goal.

‘That’s the stat and the stat is always nice to have,’ beams Sviatchenko. ‘If no one is scoring goals against us we will probably win, so the confidence is growing. ‘I feel we are much less vulnerable now. ‘We know our shape and our fitness is so good that we can bomb on for 90 minutes while sometimes the opponent will tire after 70-75 minutes. ‘Aberdeen is a tough opponent but this is the first trophy we can get our hands on and we will do everything we can to win. ‘Aberdeen have continued their work from last season. We dominated at Celtic Park but at Pittodrie it was a different game — they were bullying us but we bullied them back.’ Sviatchenko has emerged as one of Rodgers’ key dressing-room lieutenants.

‘This is similar to how I was playing in Denmark,’ he notes. ‘I have always liked defending on the front foot and being brave.

‘Sometimes you can be caught out of position but, as the manager always says, it is better to show you are willing to go forward. Against Messi, Suarez and Neymar, that can be difficult.’

Sviatchenko has made a point of immersing himself in the history of Celtic since joining earlier this year and is well aware that this afternoon represents an opportunity to claim the 100th major trophy since formation in 1888.

‘To be a part of club history is something that always means a lot,’ he reflects.

‘I was part of five in a row, so for me that was quite big and the 100th trophy would be something I’d always remember.

‘I actually just got a book about Celtic history because there are a lot of things I still don’t know. When I have time I will try to read it.’

The Rodgers era may be in its infancy but already there are signs that it could merit its own special chapter in the reference books. There are echoes of the revolution undertaken in the early days of Martin O’Neill, not least in the thumping 5-1 victory in the first Old Firm game of the season.

That day served as a palate cleanser for the Celtic support after humiliation in the previous Glasgow derby — last season’s Scottish Cup semi-final, in which Sviatchenko scored a fine header only to find himself beaten once again after a penalty shoot-out.

A change to the Scottish football calendar saw Celtic participate in a third semi-final of the year last month and, although he had a goal harshly ruled out on the day, the Dane learned to love Hampden a little more as Rodgers’ side won through.

‘I’m quite experienced now at Hampden,’ he chuckles. ‘I’ve scored a goal there, I’ve had one disallowed, I’ve won and I’ve lost.

‘It is quite a historical place and even though the track around the pitch gives you not the intimacy you’d hope for sometimes, it’s still a great stadium — especially the games against Rangers when it was divided.

‘I know it’s going to be the same with the Aberdeen fans, so it should be good.’