TURNBULL RELISHING RETURN TO EUROPEAN ACTION
Midfielder aims to shine again in Europa League
NINE months have passed since David Turnbull announced his arrival as a Celtic player. The occasion was the final fixture of a deflating Europa League group campaign against Lille and Turnbull excelled with a roving midfield display capped by the clinching goal in a 3-2 victory.
The win over Ligue 1 opposition was a rare bright spot in a dreadful season and marked only Turnbull’s second start following his £3million transfer from Motherwell.
As he prepares to return to the competition this Thursday night, the 22-year-old is happy to reflect on what was a breakout moment.
‘It was a huge game for me and I don’t think I’ve looked back since then,’ he says.
‘I went in not having had much game time and we knew we were out of the group stage, so it was just about trying and prove a point.
‘I felt we did that and it was a great night. Hopefully, we can have more of them this year.’
Much has changed since that December evening. While Turnbull has gone on to cement his place as a regular, the only other member of that night’s starting XI likely to start against Real Betis this Thursday is captain Callum McGregor.
Jeremie Frimpong and Patryk Klimala have been sold. Shane Duffy, Diego Laxalt and Moi Elyounoussi have returned to their parent clubs.
The night’s opening goalscorer Christopher Jullien is out injured, while Ismaila Soro and Conor Hazard have reverted to squad roles under new manager Ange Postecoglou.
‘Since that game, I’ve pretty much kept myself in the team and I’m happy to have done that,’ he adds. ‘I hope to keep making that position my own.
‘Not many of the boys who started that night are left. The turnaround has been massive and the boys who have come in have been brilliant.
‘I would say Lille was my first full game. I’d had one or two chances coming on as a sub but after that I felt more part of the team.
‘I knew it was big for me because I hadn’t had much game time but I tried to treat it like any other.
‘I wanted to show what I could do. Afterwards, I felt that I’d done that and that was a great feeling.
‘Every game adds to your experience and I try to look at it that way throughout my life.
‘You are always aware when it’s a bigger game but I try to keep things the same, do the same routine.
‘Maybe in the bigger games there’s added pressure from the outside but I’m a relaxed guy.’
Although far from the most powerful player operating in the Scottish league, Turnbull’s touch and movement set him apart from most and has been enough to impress Scotland boss Steve Clarke.
His performances in a toiling Celtic team convinced the national coach to make him part of the Euro 2020 squad and he trebled his cap haul with substitute cameos in the World Cup qualifiers against Denmark and Moldova.
At ease in the more technical environment of European football, he has garnered experience during Celtic’s qualifiers against Midtjylland, AZ Alkmaar and Jablonec, netting twice against the latter as a big crowd flocked back to Celtic Park last month.
The group stage kicks off with an awkward-looking assignment away to Spain’s Real Betis on Thursday but Turnbull intends to enjoy going up against La Liga opposition.
‘I’m looking forward to it,’ he admits. ‘It will be tough, but we know what we need to do.
‘It’s a big stadium, a big crowd and it should be a good atmosphere.
‘I’ve played games in Europe this season, so I’m kinda getting used to it now. It’s just about trying to implement my own game every time.
‘Every team we face in Europe seems to be good on the ball. Games are tough, it’s always a fast tempo and high press.
‘It’s good for me to challenge myself against some of these players and teams.’
After a draining transfer window in which 12 new players were added, Postecoglou believes his squad is just about built to cope for an autumn schedule that will flip between European and domestic commitments.
The injury picked up by Kyogo Furuhashi while with Japan does, however, betray how vulnerable the group is to knocks.
‘I think we have a squad to cope when everyone is fit, although that’ll probably never happen!’ laughs the Australian. ‘We were a little bit light in the last group of games but there are now options there to change things.
‘It can depend on how quickly new players settle in and get to understand our football. But I’m happy with the squad we have.
‘It was important to us we got through to the Europa League group stage.
‘The rewards of getting through are facing quality opposition and that will certainly be the case on Thursday.’