Gary pinpoints Treble as path to more caps
BETWEEN trips back home to visit friends and family in Thurso and sojourns to London to recharge the batteries, Gary MackaySteven has lately clocked up the kind of mileage normally associated with longdistance lorry drivers.
Anyone believing that the winger would look upon the prospect of an end-of-season trip to Dublin as one jaunt too many, however, is sorely mistaken.
Somewhat surprisingly omitted from the Scotland squad to face Gibraltar and Northern Ireland this week together with club team-mate Stuart Armstrong, the Celtic winger believes that firing his side to the Treble in the coming two months can go a long way to ensuring he is back in the frame when Gordon Strachan’s men take on the Republic of Ireland on June 13.
‘I’ve not booked any holidays yet but anything like that will only come if I keep doing well here,’ said Mackay-Steven.
‘It was nice to hear people saying they would maybe put mine and Stuart’s names in the frame.
‘It’s nice to be associated with Scotland but, first and foremost, our thoughts were coming here to hit the ground running with Celtic and establish ourselves here. Anything else is a bonus.
‘If anything, that just gives me added motivation to just really work hard and be consistent and, hopefully, get in the Scotland squad in the future.
‘If you’re doing well, you come into the frame. The Treble is what we want here and the team has made big leaps in the past couple of games against Dundee United — winning the Cup replay and the League Cup — so there are good times ahead here.
‘We’ve been in and around squads before and that comes with consistent performances at club level. That’s what we both need to do and, hopefully, in the future it can happen for us.’
Even if the international break is all too literal as far as MackaySteven is concerned, there is no disguising his relief i n reaching this j uncture of the season.
The prospect of hi s new c l ub facing his old one four times in a fortnight was acutely discomfiting. His muted celebration upon scoring in the 3-0 league win on Saturday spoke to that fact.
But while the 24-yearold’s respect for United is understandable, he is at pains to point out that e mpathy f or their predicament after selling their prized assets doesn’t quite stretch to sympathy.
‘I just didn’t want to celebrate, really, out of respect for the time I had at Dundee United,’ he said.
‘I had a great four years there and really enjoyed it so it was just a bit of that. Obviously the next goal I score, I’ll be celebrating a bit more. ‘Dundee United is the past i n terms of my career. ‘It was nice to see t he boys (on Saturday) but I’m a Celtic player Time to educate: Gary promotes an Easter Skills School now and I just never really look back — just ahead.’
Ineligible to play in the first three of the four back-to-back encounters, diplomacy — and the need for a mental break — saw the player head for the big smoke rather than take a seat in the stand at Tannadice. The change has been as good as a rest.
‘It was really hectic from the day I signed,’ he said. ‘There was game after game and a lot to take in, so I think the break helped in terms of getting my thoughts together and taking a step back. It was nice to recharge the batteries. I met some family and my girlfriend in London.’
With his side five points clear at the top of the table, and with a Scottish Cup semi-final against Inverness next month, MackaySteven has every chance of winning the full set of domestic medals within five months of becoming a Celtic player.
Whether that trip to Dublin will subsequently materialise, only time will tell. But, provided the league can be closed out, the forthcoming Champions League qualifiers are another window i n which to s howcase hi s i nternational credentials.
‘Everyone’s aim is the Champions League,’ he said. ‘You get a taste of the big European nights here, like we did against Inter Milan, and there’s nothing better. So that’s the aim.’