Having finished the first part of the season by winning the League Cup with a 1-0 victory over Glasgow City and that incredible Caitlin Hayes header, and subsequently ensuring there was no dust cart after the Lord Mayor’s show with a 7-0 win against Motherwell to sign off 2020, Celtic FC Women return to action against Edinburgh City in the Scottish Cup this weekend as one of only two teams in top flight Scottish football who can win the Treble.
Foresters Park, Tranent will be the far from glamorous location as Fran Alonso’s side return to the trophy trail, however one player who will be looking to get some gametime, having managed a late cameo in the thumping win over Motherwell, is Rebecca McAllister.
Rebecca may have watched from the sidelines as Celtic defeated Scotland’s dominant force in women’s football to bring home the league cup, but being part of the squad that day and subsequently getting some action prior to the winter break has whetted the appetite for Celtic’s young midfielder.
Speaking to Celticfc.com Rebecca very much has her eyes set on two more prizes and is looking to play her part in both –
“We’ve already had a taste of it and now we want more,” McAllister said. “Being at a club like Celtic it’s all about winning – you go into every competition wanting to win every game and it doesn’t matter if it’s the League Cup, Scottish Cup or the league, we always want to win.
“It’s definitely fuelled a hunger in me since I’ve gone half a season of not making an impact in games. Now I’m ready to kick on and do everything I can so that, if we hopefully do lift the cup or the league, I can say I’ve played a part and I have a real hunger for that.”
Of course, there is a bit of the unknown for Celtic facing Edinburgh City and there is also the issue with it being the first game back after a break that some ring rustiness may well play a part, but in truth a game against an opponent three divisions below the Hoops should be the ideal place to blow away the Christmas cobwebs and Rebecca seems sure the team will be ready to hit the ground running –
“It’s our first game back after Christmas, so we don’t have any form behind us and we don’t know anything about them. It’s always harder when you don’t know who you’re playing against and we really need to make a great impact, start sharp and be ready to kick on.”
And with McAllister having played no football from the Champions League tie against Minsk in August until that brief run out against Motherwell, a fresh start in a New Year is just what the promising talent is looking for. And with Fran Alonso currently operating with the smallest squad of any of the three League Title chasers, there is every chance Rebecca will play a role in the crunch part of the season and she’s using that run out against Motherwell as her inspiration to do just that –
“It was really important and it gave me a lift over that Christmas break,” Rebecca stated. “The team were playing really well so it helps you settle in and you feel less pressure and you can play with freedom, which is always a good thing. It’s always difficult to come off such a big high such as winning the cup to come back down to earth and focus.
“Motherwell are a good team and we knew it would be a tough game, so we’re really proud of ourselves on how we never got carried away with such a big victory.”
Kick off this Sunday against Edinburgh City at Forester’s Park is at 2.30pm. And as much as Rebecca McAllister is looking forward to the return of Fran Alonso and his team to our staple diet of weekend football, so too are we at The Celtic Star, as we’ll continue to bring you coverage of Celtic’s title challenge and starting this weekend the opportunity to hit the Treble trail, in what promises to be an exciting second half to a season already glistening with silverware.
Niall J
