BELGIUM star Dedryck Boyata has sent a message to his club manager Brendan Rodgers that he will be ready to step into the Champions League qualifying campaign as soon as he is done in Russia.
The Belgians face England, Panama and Tunisia in the opening group and are expected to go deep into the tournament which is now getting tantalisingly close.
“It will be a long season with the World Cup – and coming straight back for Champions League qualifiers with Celtic – but for me that is no problem,” the Celtic man said.
“The World Cup and Champions League are the two biggest places you can be as a player – it is a challenge that excites me.
“I worked hard to get here – and if I am needed to play then I will play,” Boyata continued.
The Celtic player, who was delighted to have made the squad, could end up with much more game-time at the tournament than he could have even dreamed about due to the on-going injury concerns surrounding the skipper Vincent Company. The Manchester City player was injured – again – in the run up to the finals and is involved in a race against time to be fit enough to play. Boyata is his debut and could end up playing in the three group stage matches.
“He (Kompany) has been working very hard to be ready – and he is an important leader for us.
“We hope he is available but if the coach needs me I am ready to do my job,” Boyata stated. Having obviously spent a part of his career in England, the Celtic star understands that there will always be a bigger focus on that match but he knows it is of equal importance to the other matches v Panama and Tunisia.
“I understand why the England game is what people are talking about but it is one game.
“It is not something we can get caught up in. There are three games and all must be treated with the same respect.”
Boyata is also in a rather strange position of being relatively unknown in his own homeland, given that he could be about to feature prominently in the Belgium World Cup campaign.
“I’ve never played in Belgium and the public there don’t know me as well.
“My aim is therefore to do my very best and to show the public what I am capable of. But I do not regret leaving Belgium so early.
“The only thing I regret is that I stayed at Manchester City for too long.
“I never got a chance there and I should have left City a lot earlier,” he stated.
Belgium play with three at the back and that is something that Boyata is going to be comfortable with given his time Celtic.
“I played at Celtic for a whole year in a three-man defence.
“My first goal was to get into the provisional squad and then the final 23-man squad. So I was very relieved when I made it because it’s my first World Cup. I was injured for Euro 2016 and I went through a very difficult period. That was really the biggest disappointment of my career.
“But I am now in a situation that can cause me to finally forget that hell.
“I know the system Belgium play because it’s the same at Celtic, but I’m happy to play anywhere to be honest.
“I really hope Vincent makes it. I’ve known him for ten years as a colleague and a friend. I can talk to him about everything.
“He’s always positive, even if he is injured. It’s unfortunate what happened to him, but he is a quick healer.”
The Celtic Star Podcast: Simon Donnelly on Wim, Paolo, Pierre, Henrik and Tommy Burns
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