Bhoy from Oz enjoys a wizard day

THE somewhat muted celebration was entirely understandable. When you have done little other than hope and dream that such a moment will come along, an element of surrealism is inevitable.

But once the dust had settled on the goal and the day that might j ust prove to be the turning point in his Celtic career, the warmth of Tom Rogic’s smile might even have been detected Down Under.

‘I was happy, although I’m not sure if I showed that,’ reflected Rogic. ‘ The other boys got around me, which was nice. It was a great feeling.

‘It was a bit of a reaction. There was a good ball in, Griff (Leigh Griffiths) had a good lay-off and I just stuck a leg out.’

For all his modesty, it looked a fine, instinctive goal. The kind that were his trademark before moving t o Scotland f r om Central Coast Mariners. The sort he longed to score again as injuries continually derailed his hopes of making it in Glasgow.

Now, though, Rogic has a new starting point. For long enough, September 2013 — the date of his last ill-fated start against Morton — and November 2013, the night he came on as a sub against AC Milan, were the reference points.

For all the world, yesterday felt like a new beginning.

‘It had been a while since I last started a competitive match at Celtic, so I felt really good out there,’ added Rogic. ‘ It was positive to get a goal and a clean sheet, so it was a really good day.

‘Today was an opportunity for me to play my way into the manager’s t houghts and I thought I did OK. Hopefully, I can push on from here and keep going. Like everyone else, I have to keep working and look to get an opportunity. It was nice to get out there again and good to get a goal.’

Asked if he was worried that this day would not come, Rogic continued: ‘I guess it was a long road and at times you get a bit negative. But I’ve been working towards a day like this.

‘So it was really pleasing for myself to get back out there. I guess everyone in the dressing room has been positive with me and that made going in every day a bit easier.

‘The manager has given me a lot of confidence this season as well and I’ve been working really hard, too. There have been a lot of lonely hours in the gym but I need to keep pushing on. If I keep working then opportunities will come.’

At 22, he has time on his side. Yet with his Celtic contract expiring at the end of this season, more days in the sun like yesterday would be helpful before the calendar turns too often.

‘Of course I want to be here,’ he added. ‘ I’m happy at Celtic and it’s a fantastic club. But we’ll see what happens.

‘ The manager has gi ven opportunities to everyone here. We have a good squad and it is hard to break into that. But we have to keep working and as long as everyone is working for the right reasons and for each other, I think we’ll be successful.

‘There are a lot of good players at the club and it’s enjoyable working with them. There are an important few weeks coming up for the club and I think it’s important everyone is switched on and ready for it.

‘Obviously, having missed some f ootball i t’s still a work in progress and I’m still working to get fitter and stronger.’