BOYATA: I’D RATHER PLAY THAN HIT GYM
But I’d rather be tired playing every week than burning midnight oil in the gym while out injured says Boyata
THE last time Dedryck Boyata hit the comeback trail he was burning the midnight oil in the gym in a bid to return to fitness.
The lights were left on at Lennoxtown until the wee small hours but this time the Celtic defender insists it’s been lights out and early to bed.
Boyata had six months out last season and then missed the first quarter of this term with a knee injury.
But he hasn’t been able to rebuild on the treadmill this time around. He’s had to hit the ground running as the big games have been coming thick and fast.
The Belgian ace admits he’s feeling the effects of the hectic fixture list – especially as he’s been left as the last man standing at the back with Jozo Simunovic and Erik Sviatchenko also crocked.
He’s wrapping himself in cotton wool – and tucking himself up in bed.
Boyata said: “I liked going to the gym at night but, no, that’s impossible just now!
“It’s definitely a big contrast, it’s not the same right now for me.
“I’m playing every game and I’m still coming back from injury so that means I still have a lot of work to do on the fitness side and it’s difficult to find the time to do the right rehab for the injury I had.
“I was going to the gym before because I wasn’t playing. Today I’m playing so I’m very happy to be in this position.
“I’m training every day but don’t get me wrong, if I feel it’s not possible I just have to say.
“We’re working with good physios and sports scientists and they look at the results and scores and if something seems wrong they will put us on the sidelines.”
Boyata will again need to dig deep tonight for the crunch Premiership clash with Aberdeen at Pittodrie but he admitted fighting on several fronts is taking its toll.
But he won’t need any extra motivation to go again for a top-ofthe-table clash and a Champions League return against Bayern Munich on the horizon.
Boyata said: “I’m feeling pretty tired, it’s definitely been a hard week, especially playing three games in seven days.
“We’re fine though. We have another game on Saturday and we’ll just prepare for that again.
“The adrenaline keeps you going in a way. When you play only one game a week it can feel very long sometimes. When the next game is seven days away it can seem far away.
“When you are playing every two or three days you are always doing something and physically it isn’t the best but we are working hard to stay on top of our game and being fit for every game. “We went from Champions League to the semi-final and now we’re playing a team that have the same points as us so it’s going to be tough. “That’s why we’re here though. We’re here to play games and we have these big challenges and we are up for it.” The injury-decimated centre of the Hoops defence has laid a lot on Boyata’s shoulders but he insisted he can carry the load. The Belgian said: “With
I’m playing every game and still coming back from injury so that means I have a lot of work to do BOYATA
the situation we’re in with a lot of injuries, when it comes to managing myself, if the other centreback had been there then maybe it would have been different. “But the manager has 100 per cent faith in me and would never risk me. If he felt I wasn’t ready he wouldn’t put me on the pitch. “I’ve always been a defender who likes to take responsibility. I talk a lot on the pitch and try to help my teammates and the people around me. “In the position we’re in we’re missing two of our experienced centre-backs and I’m the only one left but Nir Bitton is doing well when he’s in and Mikael is doing well too. “We’re helping each other. It’s not easy but we are doing fine. “I was watching the Premier League games and they were talking about centre-backs and that normally you want a good partnership because one player can’t do anything. It can help the team.
“For right now we have been shifting a lot. Maybe it’s not helping but that’s the situation we’re in.
“We’re fighting, we’re helping each other 100 per cent non-stop and we’re doing fine. “That’s the situation.” Boyata is digging deep but knows there can be huge rewards.
The Betfred Cup Final is in the pipeline, more domestic honours are in their sights and the Champions League is on the go with a Euro spot after Christmas within grasp.
There is also the major incentive of earning a place at the World Cup next summer with Belgium who were the first Europeans to qualify for the Russia finals.
Boyata is hoping his displays for Celtic can bag him a seat on the plane.
He said: “The World Cup would be a dream. But for myself it’s step by step. I have been in this position before, talking about things that could happen, and then I got injured.
“It’s just step by step, thinking about what is coming up this week.
“Roberto Martinez has been very happy with what I am doing here.
“The national team is another story. There are other players, good names, but it’s step by step.
“It is always a good thing for me to be with the national squad because I can think back to the two months behind me when I was on crutches.
“When you get there you want to play. But to do that I have to play well here first.
“The Champions League could help but I don’t really think that way.
“For me it’s first about playing here then playing well and then going to the national team and waiting for a chance. We will see what happens.”