Stephen Welsh gave an interesting insight yesterday into the difficulties that players and their families right across the game will have experienced due to the crisis conditions imposed on football and life in general as a result of the global pandemic.
Two thousand Celtic fan will get the chance to watch a game at Celtic Park on late on Saturday afternoon when Preston North End are the visitors – presumably with Scotty Sinclair playing – and that will be the first time that fans have been admitted inside Paradise since 7 March 2020 when St Mirren were beaten 5-1.
Hopefully that will just be the beginning and numbers of fans allowed to attend the Champions League match against FC Midtjylland a week today will be significantly higher.
Photo: Jane Barlow
Welsh spoke about the impact in his family in not being able to attend the games and makes a point that hasn’t really been mentioned previously. It’s just not been easy for anyone and it clearly has had a major impact on players personally.
“Dad is a massive Celtic fan,” young Stephen explained. “He’s done everything for me since I was about seven or eight. He took me to training every night, having to leave work early, doing all the travelling with me. Over the last 14 years my mum and dad have done everything for me.
“I just want to pay them back and let them watch me play for Celtic which was dad’s dream as well. He saw my debut but he has been frustrated the full season having to watch us on TV,” the Celtic defender told the media yesterday, as reported by Daily Record. “He says that’s been a nightmare – especially when I scored my first goal. He was obviously happy but he was raging he wasn’t there.
“Dad keeps me grounded. He always tells me to come in and work hard, do the basics and I’ll be okay.
“He never played professional but football has been his life so it’s been a real privilege to play here and be part of it. Dad played junior, he was a midfielder but he was sent off so often I never got to see him play much. Hopefully that’s not rubbed off on me,” Welsh joked.
Photo: Vagelis Georgariou
With FC Midtjylland the visitors to Paradise in just seven days, Welsh gave his thoughts on that match. “Every player wants to play in the Champions League games. It’s the highest level of club competition against the best players. We’ll go into these games looking to win and with a lot of confidence.
“They are big games early on but Callum McGregor, James Forrest and the other experienced guys are used to that. They’ve played in tough countries against tough teams.”
Erik Sviatchenko was great help to Welsh when as an Academy player he was invited to train with Brendan Rodgers’ “Proper” Invincible side in 2017 and the young Celtic defender remains a big fan of the Great Dane who has also been linked with a return move to Celtic in recent weeks, and would clearly love the chance to wear the Hoops again.
“I was training in the Invincible season and Erik was almost a mainstay in that team. He was excellent,” Welsh recalled. “I’d watch him in training and then playing at the weekend. We’re a similar height as well – he wasn’t the tallest – so I could see what he did and how he used his body,” he added.
Before the Champions League match Celtic play away at Bristol City tomorrow then at Paradise in front of those lucky 2000 on Saturday and Welsh recognises that these games are essential preparation for the serious business on Tuesday next week. And he’s relishing the ‘new era’ feel about the squad under the new management style of Ange Postecoglou.
“I’m just looking forward to getting these pre-season games under my belt for match fitness then into the Champions League qualifiers and the new season,” he said. “It’s about trying to start again. I’m still young but I need to kick on now. I’ve got a good base level. It’s the start of a new era, the gaffer has come in and been excellent so far.
“I’m really enjoying the gaffer’s training just now. He wants us to attack and play good football. That’s all you want as a Celtic player.”
