Celtic defender Christopher Jullien has opened up on his battle with Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos during Sunday’s derby match, The Daily Record report.
The Frenchman dealt with Jermain Defoe for the majority of the match, but the Colombian striker did come on to the pitch in the second half.
However, the Ibrox club’s top scorer last season didn’t really get a sniff at goal in the 2-0 Hoops victory, in part thanks to a dominating performance from Jullien.
He won his personal battle with the 23-year-old and has now revealed what was said between the pair on Sunday.
As quoted by The Daily Record, the Celtic man said: “A guy like him is not going to put me down. No one is going to put me down.
“If I am still on the field and if I can stand up, I am going to say what I can say.
“I just said to him, ‘Come to me and we’re going to have a fight, for sure. But with me it’s going to come from within, from my heart. I will be ready’.”
A different side to Jullien
It’s been obvious ever since the Frenchman’s debut that he has the physical attributes to be a success at Celtic, but his recent comments suggest he’s more than capable of dealing with the mental side of it too.
That’s half the battle in a derby and Jullien clearly managed to steel himself in the face of a tough challenge in front of a sold out opposition crowd.
If he can continue to show the leadership displayed on Sunday, we’re in for a real treat with this summer signing.
The big hope will now be he can find real consistency in the team and go from strength to strength, with tough tests in the UEFA Europa League on the horizon.
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