Sebastian Tounekti says he cannot focus on the World Cup right now and Celtic supporters should love hearing that.
The Tunisia international has every reason to think ahead after his first Tunisia goal increased expectations around his international future.
Instead, Tounekti’s focus remains completely fixed on Celtic’s title race and the chance to complete a Double. Celtic’s recent momentum suggests that mentality is translating directly onto the pitch.
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Sebastian Tounekti now understands what Celtic demands
Tounekti’s comments sound like a player who now fully understands the standards required at Celtic.
Pat Bonner recently said the winger had changed significantly after earlier criticism over his performances. Those improvements are now showing in both his mentality and decision-making.
The easiest thing for Tounekti to do would be to think ahead to the World Cup, especially after breaking through internationally with Tunisia.
Instead, he said: “The summer is going to be really special, but it’s going to be even more special if we do the job here.
“It’s really hard to focus on the summer right now when you have so many big games here.
“The World Cup is something everyone is looking forward to, but for the moment I’m just focusing on the games with Celtic.
“At the moment, I know the expectation in Tunisia is really high, but I try to lock myself away from that.
“I focus on the here and now. It’s all about Celtic and trying to win a Double. This is the best place the team has felt since I came here. We’ve found momentum, we’ve won games and we’ve been scoring goals.
“I feel like the squad is really developing and taking steps. The team is in great shape.
“The players are doing really well at the moment. Guys are stepping up and we’re in a really strong position going into these last games.”
Celtic’s title race leaves no room for distractions
The current Premiership table explains exactly why Tounekti cannot afford to mentally drift towards the summer.
Celtic remain deep in a title race and every match now carries massive pressure. Celtic’s recent form also backs up Tounekti’s comments about momentum and confidence building inside the squad.
Winning runs create belief, but they also increase pressure. This stage of a season is usually where distractions begin to creep in.
International football, transfer speculation and nerves can all shift focus away from what matters most. Tounekti’s comments instead suggest Celtic’s dressing room is blocking all of that out.
That is a major reason the squad currently looks more mature and emotionally controlled than it did earlier in the campaign.
Tounekti’s comments show Celtic players understand the pressure
This is the point in a season where mentality becomes just as important as quality.
Celtic still have trophies to fight for and the pressure around every performance is only increasing. Players thinking too far ahead can easily damage momentum during a title run-in.
That is why Tounekti’s comments matter. He is not speaking like a player distracted by international attention or future opportunities.
He sounds like somebody fully aware of the standards and pressure that come with playing for Celtic.
If enough players inside the dressing room share that mentality, Celtic will give themselves a huge chance of finishing the season strongly.
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