Celtic midfielder Scott Robertson has given his assessment of his first trip to Dubai with the Hoops.
Robertson shot into the spotlight when he made his Celtic debut against Cluj back in December. He’s yet to make his domestic debut for us, but we saw enough in Romania to suggest he has a big future here.
It’s been a perfect return to Glasgow for the youngster too. He scored the winning goal in a 1-0 win for the development squad against Chelsea in London yesterday. Everything is turning up trumps for him at the moment.
However, his impressive form in Dubai will be what pleases him the most. Speaking to the Celtic View about the trip (Volume 55, Issue 25, Page 37), Robertson revealed he was only given short notice before leaving with the squad.
“I didn’t get much notice that I was going. I got a text on December 30th saying I was going. I told my mum and dad straight away and they were really happy for me. That was my first time out there and it was really good.
“We had our break at Christmas, and Dubai was all about getting the fitness levels back up, getting your touch, the ball at your feet, getting the legs back, and all of that will hopefully stand us in good stead for the rest of the season.
“I just want to keep training with the first team as much as I can. If I get more chances to be part of the squad, maybe even some more game-time, then that would be a fantastic bonus. I need to be able to cope with the intensity of the first-team training sessions and hopefully in the future I might get a wee sniff of first-team football again.”
Lennon full of praise for Robertson’s display
Robertson clearly did enough to impress his manager during the trip. Lennon was also in the Celtic View (page 7) talking up his performance levels:
“Scott was excellent, he’s a very good young professional and a good roaming footballer. We had him out in Austria for pre-season, but even then, I don’t think he’s ever trained as intensely as he did over in Dubai.”
There was clearly nothing wrong with Robertson’s intensity levels, even if the player himself feels it’s something he needs to work on.
Yet, truth be told, he was arguably Celtic’s best player in Cluj. If he watches that one back, he’ll know that he was one of the most intense on the pitch. It’s just a matter of competition that’s keeping the youngster out of the team.
It tells a lot about Robertson’s character that he managed to perform so well in Dubai too. Being given that text a day after the Rangers defeat throws real pressure on him to provide some promise. That he did is further proof of the cool head on his shoulders.
Chances may be limited between now and the end of the season, but Robertson is clearly aware of that. Continuous involvement with the first-team at Lennoxtown is his goal. Looking at the squad we have in place, it’s difficult to say he should be looking beyond that for now.
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