Celtic defender Carl Starfelt has built up an off the field relationship with Cameron Carter-Vickers that has helped create a ‘chemistry’ between the two central defenders which has been key to Celtic’s title winning form this season, but that doesn’t mean his pal has a clue as to whether Carter-Vickers intends to make the loan deal from parent club Spurs a permanent arrangement.

As Carl Starfelt told Sky Sports he is as keen as anyone in the support for Celtic to exercise the option to buy and for Carter Vickers to agree a long-term contract with Celtic but that is based purely on the understanding the two players have built up and not a reason for Starfelt to interfere in his teammate’s decision.

“Cameron is a very good player and easy to play with. But also, our relationship is very good, the chemistry is very good. We have become friends outside the pitch as well and we can speak freely about situations.

“So that helps and, yeah, we have an understanding about each other and each other’s games and what we want and what we need from each other. Of course I would like to play with him next season because he is a very good player. But we will wait and see.

“I know nothing more than you guys. I don’t think it’s up to me to persuade him. We will wait and see, it’s not up to me whether he stays or not.”

One thing that would no doubt help Carter-Vickers decide to join Celtic would be the carrot of group stage Champions League football. The defender has also been linked with Newcastle in some reports today, no doubt a story a certain Daniel Levy would be delighted to see published given it would appear to add pressure to any negotiations for Celtic, but would of course be in no way Levy’s own doing of course.

And Carl Starfelt feels lessons learned from last season’s European campaign across three different competitions will hold the Hoops in good stead ahead of Champions League football next season.

“The Champions League is huge, obviously. In club football it’s one of the biggest things you can do so it would be massive for all the players and massive for the fans and the club. Everyone would look forward to it.

“We’re not thinking too much now about what could have been in Europe this year. We learned a lot from playing in these games and although not everything was perfect we went out there to play our football 100 per cent.

“What we know is that it requires a little bit more in Europe. But if we do that then we can also see that it works. So the team learned a lot from being in Europe this year and hopefully we can take that into the Champions League next year.”

Both Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers can secure that European dream ticket by ensuring the backdoor is bolted tight at Tannadice tonight, as Celtic look to secure the solitary point that would see a league title return to Celtic Park, despite the mainstream press having our rival as Champions elect in October.

🗣️”I haven’t won a title before so it’s a huge moment…”

Celtic defender Carl Starfelt hopes they can officially become champions at Tannadice tomorrow night.

📺Dundee Utd v Celtic, Sky Sports Football
⏰7:30pm pic.twitter.com/4wduWcIMFk

— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) May 10, 2022

For Starfelt and Carter-Vickers, not without their own critics at times this season, to do so with the best defensive record in the league would be quite the answer to those who had written then off.

Niall J