Sead’s glad of half chance as he settles in
Sead Hak sabanov ic admits he’s not ready to play 90 minutes for Celtic yet – and says boss Ange Postecoglou was right to hook him at half- time against Shakhtar Donetsk.
The Monteneg r in winger, signed on deadline day from Rubin Kazan, was given his first start in the Champions League clash on Wednesday night.
He was subbed off at the break in Poland as the Hoops picked up their first point in Group F with a 1-1 draw.
Haksabanov ic was delighted to get the nod from his gaffer but knows he needs more time to get up to speed with his Parkhead team-mates.
The 23-year-old said: “It has been a long time since I started a game and it feels good to be involved so quickly.
“I still need to improve but the more I play, the better I’ll get.
“There have been a lot of big games since I arrived at Celtic and I’ve loved being part of it.
“The derby against Rangers was a great experience, to see all the fans in the stadium, and to win made it special.
“Then we played Real Madrid. Just to get on to the pitch was a big thing for me too.
“I didn’t know I was going to start against Shakhtar until a few hours before the game. It feels good to know I have the manager’s confidence.
“I wasn’t expecting to start because, not only have I not played in a while but there are a lot of good players already at this club.
“I was taken off at halftime because I haven’t played for so long.
“I hadn’t started a game for three months so 45 minutes was probably right for me.
“It’s going to take time to be at my best but I enjoyed the experience.”
Haksabanovic can play anywhere in Postecoglou’s front line but the left flank is his preferred position.
He could get another chance there against St Mirren in the league today and the wide man insists Celtic will take nothing for granted in Paisley.
He said: “It was nice to get an opportunity on the left against Shakhtar.
“The manager demands a lot from his forward players. But this is how I want to play. I want to press high and win the ball back so the way the team plays will suit me.
“Ever y game is so important. The way we train is intense and geared towards being at our best for the next game.
“And that ’s how we need to approach it. If you don’t, you get punished.”
Haksabanovic wi l l feature for Montenegro this week in his country’s Nations League games a ga ins t Bosn i a a nd Finland.
And he has revealed that national team boss Miodrag Radulovic has given his move to Parkhead a seal of approval.
He said: “The national coach told me that I’m playing at a high level now and is happy that I’m at Celtic.”