Celtic midfielder Ryan Christie says he is relishing some “huge games” at the start of the new season. Neil Lennon’s men are already in week two of pre-season training just a month after securing a third successive treble, but Christie reckons it will all be worth it in the long-run.
The 24-year-old told Sky Sports News: “It is tough and it’s a quick turnaround but I don’t think we’ll complain about it too much because it’s huge games you like to play in so early in the season.
“It can help cut pre-season short a little bit and take away some of the running. Hopefully we can progress this year and if we do so we’ll be absolutely delighted.
“We’re desperate to qualify for Champions League football again so all the mind-set will be on that for now.”
Another big pre-season for Christie
One bonus of having such a short break is that the players’ fitness is unlikely to be affected too much. The majority of the Celtic squad received around three weeks off so they should be back up in peak condition after a week or two.
Christie finds himself in a different, and similar, position to last season in many ways. The Scotland cap is now a major part of the Celtic first-team. That’s in stark contrast to last summer when he was a fringe player looking to get into the manager’s plans.
However, just like last year he will once again have to prove himself. The Highlander featured in just three of Lennon’s 14 matches as interim with injuries bookended a frustrating 2019 so far. He will be keen to hit the ground running and show his new manager what he can do.
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