If it’s not tiresome links to EPL relegation threatened sides for our manager, it’s our players who are being linked with moves across the border. And transfer expert Fabrizio Romano’s recent assertion that Carl Starfelt was on the radar of clubs down south has been played with a straight bat by Starfelt – as reported in Swedish publication Fotballskanalen – whilst on international duty with Sweden, ahead of Euro Qualifying fixtures with Belgium and Azerbaijan.
“No, I like it very much as it is right now. My agent will take care of the rest and then if something comes up, we’ll deal with it then. But I have no thoughts right now except for Celtic.”
Starfelt was also asked about his footballing development under Ange Postecoglou at Celtic and what he has learned in Scotland since his £4m move from Rubin Kazan, and Starfelt has highlighted his higher staring point when defending, as well as the pressure of playing for a club expected to win and win with style every single game.
“A lot of stuff I would say, but a lot with the ball. We dominate in matches and get a lot of the ball. Defending high, and having a lot of play as well, I have had to develop many, many areas. It’s a big club where you are expected to win so you really have to push yourself to develop all the time.
“It’s fantastic. Of course, it is something special to win great titles and it is something you really strive for as a football player. To be able to be at a club where it is expected of you and where it means so much to so many people is also incredible and a great feeling.”
Starfelt’s incredible central defensive partnership with Cameron Carter-Vickers offers the defensive foundation from which Celtic have built an impressive attacking free-flowing style of play under Ange Postecoglou, and Starfelt will be hoping learning to defend in a new way, as well as being the first point of attack, will have caught the eye of Swedish national coach Janne Andersson and lead to the 27-year-old adding to his mere five caps gained for Sweden to date. Something Starfelt was also asked to comment on in the build-up to his nations first matches of their Euro qualifying campaign.
“You have to try. I try to show in training that I can play. Everyone who is here, of course, we want to play and will fight hard to get into the team. It is positive that people see that there is a chance. Then you have to take that chance and see what happens. It’s the manager who selects the team, so it’s entirely up to him.”
Starfelt, it seems certainly knows how to avoid controversy when speaking to the press, but it is scarcely believable he has only five international caps to his name at the age he is and with the consistent form he has shown in a Celtic shirt.
This international window however offers Starfelt the opportunity to set about setting that record straight. Whether he gets that opportunity will be down to his national boss, but it is something worth keeping an eye on over the course of the next few days.
Niall J
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