Wellings confident Hoops can plunder City’s crown jewels

TOPPLING Glasgow City’s domestic dynasty has become the mantra on the eve of every new SWPL campaign of late.

The dominant force in the country lifted their 14th successive title last term but the consistency of Celtic offered a substantial amount of intrigue.

And once the formalities of the opening weekend are out of the way — with the Parkhead side visiting Aberdeen and the defending champions hosting Motherwell today — there will be an instant opportunity to gauge the respective strengths of the protagonists on matchday two of the new campaign.

One of Celtic head coach Fran Alonso’s seven summer signings, 23-year-old Charlie Wellings, is optimistic that they can go a step further this season and take City’s title.

‘Can we compete for the title? Yes, definitely,’ she said. ‘We want to aim as high as we can. I think it shows with the signings Fran has made that he has massive ambitions, too. I’m really looking forward to it.

‘We’ve had a really long season already with cup games and the Champions League, so it’s nice to finally get the league started.’

Celtic’s second-place finish last season gave them entry into a revamped Champions League but their exposure was not prolonged beyond the opening group qualification phase.

Still, as well as serving to whet the appetite for more of the same, the experience also ought to stand Celtic in good shape going into the league campaign, according to Wellings.

The striker (right) has a bronze medal from England’s third-place finish at the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in 2018 and knows that the harder the competition, the steeper the learning curve.

‘The experience of big games helps, so coming off the back of those and going into the game against Glasgow City will be tough. But we are ready for the fight against them.

‘The more high-pressure games you play only makes you better as a player.

‘Mentally, it’s very tough, but you need to be ready to perform under pressure. That’s what the best players do.

‘Glasgow City have dominated for years but the signings made by everyone this year show that we are all aiming to knock them off that top spot. I think they will find it a bit tougher this year than they would have in previous years, which is good for them because it will be a competitive league.’

Celtic open their campaign against Aberdeen in front of the BBC Alba cameras at Balmoral Stadium today before the hugely-anticipated clash with City next weekend. ‘We have played a lot of pre-season games and we are ready,’ said Wellings. ‘We know it’s going to be a tough game and a big game but we are ready for it and we are excited.

‘It’s why it’s such an important thing, having Champions League experience before we play Glasgow City.’