Speaking at the club’s media conference yesterday Celtic striker Giorgos Giakoumakis admitted that he’s relishing the chance to get his Celtic career up and running after a difficult early period where injuries hampered him. The hard work though has finally paid off for the Greek striker who will lead the line again For Celtic this afternoon against Dundee United at Celtic Park looking for his third goal in three games, maybe even a fourth and fifth too!
“I had a tough period during the first six months with injuries and I missed the pre-season. It was difficult for me to get fit. It is something that I did during the break when my teammates had days off I came here and did extra training. I had to stay as I felt I had to get fit and recover some form. That is something that I had to do and I am fit because of that. I am happy and I will give my best for the team,” GG said.
“My job is to give everything in every game no matter how short the distance is between the matches. I try to recover well and fast in order to be ready for the games. We are focused only on the game against Dundee United now. It is our target to win the game and win the three points.”
His goals and performances against Alloa in the Scottish Cup last Saturday and in midweek against Hearts at Tynecastle have certainly given him confidence, although he stressed that he never once doubted himself, as he explained his targets for the season. “I can say that I feel confident now. I missed the first six months and I feel fit and that is something that I missed. It is a big motivation for me to be the same guy and the same player in every game. I never doubted myself. I believe in my abilities and I have a big motivation. I have big dreams and big targets and the only thing I was wishing was to be healthy. This is the only thing I was worried about.
“The main target for me is to stay healthy to the end so I can keep fighting and performing well for my team. It is my job to score as I am a striker and I will do my best to score in every single game if it is possible.”
While the Alloa game was a turning point for Giakoumakis with his goal kickstarting his Celtic career into top gear, the match as we are all aware was costly for Celtic with the injuries to both new signing Yosuke Ideguchi and club captain Callum McGregor, who despite the serious facial injury he’d sustained last weekend, still showed up midweek to support and encourage his teammates, something that GG revealed was greatly appreciated by the players.
“We miss him a lot as he is a key player for us and he is a leader not just on the pitch but off it as well. He came to the game against Hearts and he motivated us a lot. It was really important that we had Callum there and all my teammates felt the same way. We are waiting for him to come back and help us on the field also.
After his impressive goalscoring exploits in Holland last season playing for VVV Venlo, a club that were relegated despite GG being the top scorer in the league, the big striker is now experiencing a different level of service from a very attack minded Celtic team that he reckons is full of quality. “It is amazing for me really. It makes my job easier because I have such quality players behind me and around me. I enjoy that very much. Coming here and signing for this beautiful club was not a risk for me. I knew for sure if I was healthy and strong I would achieve many things for the team.
GG reckons thought that Ange Postecoglou has a point when he notes that Celtic really should be scoring more goals given the volume of chances that are being created and in doing so close off games so that there are fewer late scares as we had to endure at Tynecastle were we were a lick of paint aways from throwing away two points in a game where Celtic could and should have been out of sight.
“We create a lot of chances and I think if we concentrate more on the last pass or the finishing then we can score more goals and make our life easier in every game,” Giakoumakis said. Asked about the physical nature of the Scottish game, it’s clear that this is not a concern for the big striker who clearly relishes the challenge and can handle himself in these encounters.
“The game is quite physical in Scotland. The pace and rhythm are really fast and physicality is one of my strengths as a player. I try to use my body and my physical abilities and I think it is something that makes me feel comfortable in this league.”
Asked how he’s found the Celtic support since arriving at the club GG was in no doubt that there’s something special in playing for these fans, both home and away. “The Celtic fans are our biggest motivation, they are always there for us. Home or away game it doesn’t matter for them and they are really supportive of the team. We are really happy that we have them on our side and we really need them in every single game. They are amazing and I enjoy every single goal celebrating with them because it is something brilliant.”
And a summary of the plan for the rest of the season: “Our plan is exactly the same as when we started the season and we try to follow it. We will follow the plan until the end. Our plan is to keep the ball and have possession, create a lot of chances and press high when we don’t have the ball. We try to work hard to improve. I think we can improve our plan day by day and game by game. I think we will be even better after more games moving forward.”
