Fit-again Turnbull determined to play key role and help clinch title

STYLE, flair, philosophy, entertainment, attack. All have been key tenets of the turnaround in fortunes masterminded by manager Ange Postecoglou in eight months at Celtic Park.

For the next five games, though, midfielder David Turnbull is willing to let a lot of that fly out the window.

With a most unlikely Premiership title now tantalisingly close, the former Motherwell man’s message rings loud and clear: It’s now just all about winning. By whatever means necessary.

‘I don’t care how we get the job done — it is just all about getting the three points. It is all that matters,’ said Turnbull ahead of today’s visit to Ross County.

‘We want to play our style of football, but, most importantly, it is about getting points on the board and kicking on going into the last run of games.

‘The boys are all focused. We know what we need to do. Everyone is calm about it.’

Celtic prevailed in an almighty battle at the Global Energy Stadium last December when a header from Tony Ralston in the seventh minute of time added-on claimed the points in a 2-1 win. Turnbull still sees that as a major landmark in a league season that has grown steadily in momentum and belief.

‘It is always a tough game at Ross County,’ he said. ‘We played well that night and we kept pushing, as we always do, until the last minute and Tony came up with a great goal. It was a massive three points.’

Turnbull, of course, has made only three substitute appearances since returning from a hamstring injury picked up in the final of the Premier Sports Cup in December.

However, he insists he now feels ready to regain a starting spot in Postecoglou’s team and make a telling contribution in getting the campaign over the line.

‘It has been good to slowly but surely get back in and get some game time and I just want more of that now. I feel ready (to start),’ he said.

‘I think I have been ready for a few weeks now, but the team have been doing so well I have had to bide my time. I just need to take my chance when it comes.

‘The injury was tough to take at the time, but I always expected to be back for the run-in and I have stayed on track with everything.

‘I never feared my season was over. I had to deal with the disappointment and then it was just about going through the rehab as best I could.

‘I believe in my own ability and the way I played and how involved I was at the start of the season was great. Things happen and now it is just about pushing to get back into the starting XI and doing the best I can when I am in there.’

Turnbull also insists there has been no hangover since losing last weekend’s Scottish Cup semi-final to Rangers.

‘It has been fine. We have had a great week,’ he insisted. ‘We had the day off on Monday and we came in on Tuesday and put the game behind us. We haven’t really spoken about it.

‘We had a meeting on Tuesday, but we do that after every match.

‘It is part of our preparations in the lead-up to a new game. We are just looking forward to the game against Ross County.’