FROM AGONY TO ECSTASY
Siegrist was gutted after Abada winner... but immediately knew Parkhead was the place to be
BENJAMIN Siegrist was plunged into despair as lights flashed around Celtic Park and a deafening roar assaulted his senses.
The Dundee United goalkeeper had been performing wonders. A string of impressive saves amounted to a one-man act of defiance against Ange Postecoglou’s title chasers.
But then came stoppagetime on a cold January evening. A cross from Jota was missed by the defenders in front of Siegrist and Liel Abada slotted into the net for a last-gasp home win.
Cue bedlam. Parkhead reverberated with all the celebratory noise generated by a crucial staging post in last season’s championship success. A crestfallen Siegrist felt only desolation.
It was a cruel conclusion, but another thought slowly entered his mind as he gazed around. What an incredible place this was to play football.
Five months on, the 30-year-old can now call the stadium home. And his excitement at that prospect is unmistakable.
Becoming a regular presence in Postecoglou’s team is Siegrist’s next and sizeable challenge after signing a four-year contract.
It won’t be easy. But if he plays as well for the champions as he did against them, it would be wrong to discount his chances of pushing Joe Hart for firstchoice status.
Asked about some of his inspired displays in those past meetings, Siegrist smiled: ‘Yeah, I mean, have you seen the stadium? It’s pretty special.
‘I remember losing here in the second-to-last minute and the lights were going on, the crowd were going crazy.
‘I was gutted, I was really gutted, but I looked up and I went: “This is pretty special here”.
‘It’s just exciting for me to be here, and I want to be part of it, be part of how the manager wants to take the club forward.
‘Working here with the goalkeepers’ union, and working with the best players, it’s going to be really exciting.’
Siegrist’s Instagram following rose from 6,000 to 24,000 following Celtic’s announcement of his signing on Tuesday night, but his primary hope is to gain increased attention on the pitch.
If things go right, that might even include Champions League football. Siegrist revealed he was a ballboy for first club Basel — ‘behind Rab Douglas’ — when Celtic played in Switzerland in 2002.
A chance to sample Europe’s elite competition played an important part in his decision to turn down alternative offers with greater guarantees of regular first-team action.
‘Yes, 100 per cent,’ he said. ‘It’s a boyhood dream to be involved in, to hear the Champions League anthem, to travel abroad to represent Celtic on an international basis. Of course it was a huge factor for me.’
Ultimately, though, a phone call with Postecoglou convinced Siegrist that Parkhead was the best stage for him to take another step forward after four years at Tannadice.
‘I had the urge to look for something new, something that really pushes me and improves me,’ he said.
‘So when the manager told me his vision for the club and the part I’m going to be playing, I felt it was the right spot for me.
‘I also had a good conversation with the goalie coach Stevie Woods, who has a fantastic reputation. I look forward to working with him and learning.
‘It was down to the manager, it was down to his vision. I could go to another team and play another 100 or 150 games or I could go somewhere I feel like it’s going to improve me the most.
‘That’s what it came down to. My willingness to improve, to better myself and measure myself day in, day out against the best players Scotland has to offer. That was the fantastic opportunity I didn’t want to pass up.’
However, Hart is the man in possession of the shirt and isn’t exactly short on experience. Hasn’t Siegrist taken a risk in picking Parkhead?
‘No, I enjoy competition,’ he replied. ‘It brings the best out of everyone.
‘This isn’t just a short term see-howit-goes project, this is a long-term thing with the manager and how he wants us to play. The fact that I’m probably going to have to learn a different style of playing excites me.’
Postecoglou’s demands to play out from the back can make goalkeeping a slightly more stressful business than it already undoubtedly is.
‘It’s not really risky because you don’t just turn up on a Saturday and it happens,’ insisted Siegrist. ‘You obviously practise it every day on the training ground.
‘Will it take some time to adjust? Of course. I don’t look at it as being that risky — I won’t be playing square passes in the six-yard box!
‘But if that’s the way the manager wants to play, then it’s up to me to get it nailed down.
‘Again, that was his vision — for me to learn the system and to apply it in game time.
‘It’s part of my game that I probably couldn’t show to people because of the way I was asked to play at my previous team. So I look forward to showing people how good I am at it.
‘It will 100 per cent make me a better player. That’s exactly the point.
‘I want to learn a different side of the game and “Angeball”, as you’ve called it, I’ve played against it and it’s pretty annoying when the boys are chasing after it for 90 minutes and the ball is moving so quickly. But I’ve seen it, I’ve competed against it and now I want to be part of it on the other side.’
A fight for playing time and an adaptation to a new way of playing both lie ahead. So what does Siegrist regard as his biggest challenge at Celtic?
‘That’s a good question,’ he considered. ‘The biggest challenge is probably fulfilling my own expectations, you know?
‘I’m confident enough to go in and make sure I can bring my abilities into the team, but I also have huge respect for the team.
‘We are the champions, I’ve obviously had to compete against them last year, so I’ll get back to you on that one.
‘For now, I’m just looking forward to getting to know my team-mates, the staff and the fans, ultimately, and earning their trust.’