Celtic pair Carl Starfelt and Giorgos Giakoumakis have been left delighted after ending their respective international exiles.
Giakoumakis returns to the Greece squad this week for the first time in a year under new manager Gus Poyet. It comes hot on the heels of a sensational start to 2022 in which he’s netted 11 goals [Transfermarkt].
Starfelt, meanwhile, returns to the Sweden squad for the first time since September. However, he’s only played 23 minutes for his country since March 2021 [Transfermarkt].And both men outlined their delight after playing a part in Celtic’s 4-0 dismantling of Ross County yesterday.
Speaking at a oress conference in which 67HailHail attended, Starfelt said: “It’s one of my goals, to go with the national team. It’s always a big honour to be there. For me it’s one of the biggest things you can do as a player, to play for your country. I feel like I go there feeling comfortable with my form and performances. I hope I can go there and contribute.”
Giakoumakis meanwhile spoke to Celtic TV after the County win, and said the following on returning to the Greek squad:
“Yes I’m always really proud about that – playing for the national team, my country. I’m looking forward to playing some games and representing my country. I’ll miss my team, but it’s going to be nice to be there.”
Giorgos Giakoumakis and Carl Starfelt rewarded for superb Celtic form
If there are 2 players who deserve these call-ups more than anyone, it’s Starfelt and Giakoumakis. 2 players who have had to deal with a plethora of criticism since arriving in the summer.
Both men have firmly responded to those critics. Now, it’s all about starring for their respective international teams and trying to bring their momentum onto the world stage.
Starfelt will likely have to settle for a place on the bench against the Czech Republic given it’s a competitive clash. However, there may be room for Giakoumakis to impress in friendly matches against Romania and Montenegro respectively.
Former VVV-Venlo star Giakoumakis is the in-form striker when it comes to Greek centre-forwards. He’s more than ready to start shining for Poyet, and given he’s just in the door, he’ll surely be keen to try something different.
It’ll be interesting to see how all of the Celtic players get on when they’re away with their respective countries over the next fortnight. Matt O’Riley with Denmark U21s and Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda with Japan will certainly be ones to watch.
For now, however, the main focus is ensuring all of them come back in one piece.
In other news, John Hartson absolutely loves what Ange’s Celtic do at the end of every game
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