TALKING CELTIC
CRISTIAN Gamboa is content to bide his time as he waits for the chance to force his way back into the Hoops starting line-up.
The Costa Rican has found himself on the bench for the last two games as Mikael Lustig has reappeared on the right-hand side of defence, something that is perhaps a little harsh on the defender given his recent performances.
Gamboa put in arguably his best performance for Celtic in the defeat of Hearts a couple of weeks ago but since then has had to be settle for being back on the outside looking in.
“I just want to work hard,” he said. “It is difficult to complain about anything because the results have been good and the team are playing so well. The manager knows he has two fit players who can play in my position and that is good for the team.
“There is always a lot of competition when you are at a big club like Celtic so I think this is normal. But I am enjoying working hard in training and I feel settled here in Glasgow.
“I hope there will be more to come because I love playing at Celtic Park, it is quite magnificent.
“It is good to get a run of games because you get your fitness and your momentum. But it is about the group and the team and it is up to me to make sure I am ready.”
With just two league points dropped, it has been almost a blemish-free campaign from Brendan Rodgers’ side so far this season.
This weekend there is the possibility of taking another step towards a domestic Treble with the Scottish Cup tie against Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Saturday afternoon.
With the League Cup already won – Celtic’s 100th piece of silverware and the first of Rodgers’ coaching career – and a whopping 29-point gap established at the top of the table, the Scottish Cup presents the only real obstacle to the Parkhead side completing a clean domestic sweep.
Only three Celtic teams and two Celtic managers – Jock Stein and Martin O’Neill – have achieved that feat.
Any Hoops team capable of delivering the three trophies is assured of their place in the history of the club and while Gamboa may not know too much about the history of the club, he was quick to acknowledge the opportunity to write his name into a significant chapter.
“I have been told it does not happen for teams to go and win all three trophies so it would be a great thing to be a part of ,” he said. “For us, though, I think we are a little afraid to keep looking at the big things.
“It makes more sense for us to look only to what the next game is. If we can do that then maybe there will be lots for us to celebrate but at the minute we are in the middle of the season. There is no-one giving prizes just now.
“It is very important that we do not allow ourselves to think about what might be. We know that it will be hard to win all three competitions but it would make us a special team. To do that we have to look to every game as it comes and not let our thoughts go too fast.
“The gaffer wants us to keep winning, keep winning. We want there to be a lot more to come.
“Football is a chance to make history and do something special and I feel good to be a part of it.”
Kieran Tierney is on the opposite flank to Gamboa and the 27-year-old has been impressed by the manner in which the Scotland internationalist has become so pivotal to the way that Celtic play.
TIERNEY has attracted significant attention south of the border with various Premiership clubs linked with the 19-year-old, while Rodgers has been unequivocal in his belief that the player is capable of performing at the very top level.
“Kieran has a great ability to go forward and get a lot of assists,” said Gamboa. “I think we are quite similar in that we both like to get forward but he is also very strong defensively.
“I admire him a lot because he is a young player who works very hard. He is very dedicated, very committed and I think that Celtic are lucky to have him because he is such a great player. It is hard to believe that he is still young and he will get better and better.
“For now though he is doing a great job for Celtic.”