Anthony Ralston achieved his own personal target over the summer in getting himself fit and ready to play from the season opener against Ross County last weekend. The Scotland international was of course well aware of the injury to Alistair Johnston, with the Canada World Cup star likely to be missing for the opening round of fixtures and to help the team and to make his own case to incoming manager – who Ralston worked with in Brendan Rodgers’ first stint at the club – to be the first pick right back or at the very least to compete for the position on an ongoing basis.
“We had the situation at right back,” Ralston told the mainstream media, as reported by Football Scotland. “But, regardless of the injury I would have been pushing anyway. It did not give me any special incentive, I just wanted to be fit for the that first game, to get myself in the best possible physical shape, which I managed to do. Credit to the physios and staff here.
“I managed to get there which was amazing. The boys are all in a great place and we just want to build on that great start,” Ralston said.
“When you are at a top club like this that’s the way it should be,” he stated as he considered the intense competition for places in the starting eleven at Celtic. “There should be competition everywhere you look. That’s healthy. I’ve had it before, a good example being Jura who was here during such a successful time for the club. But if he was in the team I supported him, and vice versa. It’s the same with Alistair.
“You need that when you are at a top club, it pushes you every day in training. At the end of the day, it is about the team and how we support each other. If one is in you support the other, you try to push each other every day. It is the same with the country set-up too. It’s all good.”
Ralston also spoke about the return of Brendan Rodgers and also his memories of working with him in the manager’s first period in charge at Celtic.
“The gaffer was here when I was younger and he put a lot of faith in me,” said Ralston. “He gave me chances and, looking back, that was massive for my career. I’m very thankful for those chances to play in the first team.
“He has come in at this point and I am very much looking forward to working with him. I’m delighted he is here. I’m now in a different place both in my personal life and here too.
“As footballers we all have personal lives and family. I’ve got my wee girl and that’s the difference from when the gaffer was here previously. She’s my reason for what I do now. Everything is for her. The gaffer will relate to that too.
“It’s a very exciting time at the club. I’m 24 now and I just want to push on as much as I can. But nothing changes in terms of putting the work in every day and looking to take my chances with both hands.”
