It can be argued that the Betfred Cup has made Ryan Christie’s career at Celtic. He burst into the team with a fantastic performance in the semi-final last season against Hearts, and hasn’t looked back since.
That performance made Christie a star in the eyes of the Celtic support. It also earned him the trust of then Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers, and current manager Neil Lennon.
One of the team’s most important players
Christie is now one of Celtic’s most important players. His 12 goals from midfield this season have been vital to Celtic’s form in both domestic and European.
Now Christie will be aiming for a unique Betfred Cup treble when the Hoops take on Hibs in the semi-final of the competition.
In last season’s Betfred Cup semi-final and final, Christie found the back of the net. He scored in the aforementioned 3-0 win over Hearts in the semi-final. Christie then scored the only goal of the game in last season’s final against Aberdeen.
Now he has the chance to make it three Betfred Cup semi-finals/finals in a row with a goal. That is, if he can find the back of the net against the Easter Road side.
A big game player
You wouldn’t bet against him doing it, as he scored against Hibs in the 1-1 draw between the teams in September. The fact that Christie has regularly found the back of the net in semi-finals and finals just shows how much of a big game player that he is.
A year ago he was a squad player at best for the Hoops. Now he is perhaps one of Celtic’s three most important players. His importance was shown when he was sent-off in the recent 2-0 loss to Livingston. The Hoops didn’t look the same side when he wasn’t in the team.
Now he has the chance to become a Betfred Cup hero for the third time.
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