Aaron Mooy's brilliant comments on what the Celtic experience feels like

By John McGinley

March 12, 2023

Celtic midfielder Aaron Mooy isn’t the most talkative of players in the media but used the aftermath of a starring role in Saturday’s Scottish Cup win to make it clear how much he is enjoying life at the Bhoys.

Mooy opened the scoring at Tynecastle in a 3-0 win over Hearts that delighted a 3,000-plus away support and every other fan watching along on television. It was the Australian’s seventh goal in 14 matches and the effort again highlighted how crucial a component of Ange Postecoglou’s team he has become.

The 32-year-old certainly isn’t taking it for granted at this stage of his career. He’s determined to soak all the positive energy in and after the match spoke brilliantly about his feelings at the moment.

Speaking to The Sunday Post [12/03 print edition, Post Match supplement page 2], he said: “It is enjoyable because you feel everything here. Everything you can feel in football, you feel it at Celtic. I’m enjoying the challenge and hopefully it can be a good season. I hate this bit, doing press conferences! But the heightened senses here really energise me.

“I’m getting a bit older so I’m trying to maximise everything I’m doing. Celtic is a club where you feel the support, you feel everything. I’m just taking it all in.

“Listen, this is a demanding club. Whenever I play I am under pressure to perform and win. That’s what the supporters expect. So when you win it is a feeling of relief more than exhilaration. I would say that is 100% the case, especially in the big games.

“The first thing you feel is not joy or happiness, it is relief because you just did what you are meant to do. That’s something I’ve not experienced before in my career. I do enjoy it. When we have a good game my coffee in the morning tastes better.”

I don’t think I’ve heard or read Mooy speak so freely about his time at Celtic to date – as he references himself, he is not exactly one to dish out brilliant quotes. Nonetheless, he’s managed to tap into something here and clearly is relishing this time of his career with the Bhoys.

While he’s a cool and calm customer, the passion of the Celtic support and the pressure it brings is having an influence. It’s fair to say he’s rising to the occasion so far, too. Hopefully, it continues to be a productive relationship for all parties – the Australian is proving to be the bargain buy of the season.

In other news, Hyeongyu Oh talks up potential Celtic South Korean tour.