I must say I have a very understanding boss. A die-hard Shrewsbury Town – and yes, they do have them – fan and England supporter, he called me as I clocked in for work on Friday morning. ‘How much sleep have you had?’ Deciding it was probably best to be honest and up front I stated ‘about 4 hours.’ ‘That’s four more than I expected, do what you need to, then knock off for the day’ he offered, and by mid-day I had.
This followed ongoing consumption of too much beer and a series of Zoom calls into the small hours, from a group of friends now scattered across the World. It started with Bishopbriggs and took in London, Colombia, Australia and New Zealand , all with friends supporting a multitude of clubs but with one thing in common. At some point we’ve travelled from Country to Country following Scotland and have been waiting rather impatiently for that qualification for a major tournament.
Something we took for granted at Euro 96 and France ’98, when we were teenagers without a care, rather than as husbands and fathers now consumed by them. None of us had expected a wait like we’ve all endured.
Like so many of us the relief was as palpable, a feeling as it was for the Aberdeen fans when the Don’s previous chairman Stewart Milne uttered that famous post-match interview after they ended a trophy drought by winning the League Cup in 2014. “Fantastic. 19 years, 120 minutes and then flaming penalties.” Add three years on and that’s how the whole of Scotland was feeling on Thursday night.
And the name on most people’s lips, the man who after so long had replaced James ‘we’ll always have Paris’ McFadden as the hero of the Tartan Army was our own Ryan Christie. He’d probably have succeeded Faddy with the goal alone, however the post-match interview was the deciding factor. A fan in a shirt living out all our dreams, having carried the weight of all our expectations, and there he was even more emotional than many of us and on his way to get just as drunk!
Christie’s performance on the night was simply outstanding, playing off Lyndon Dykes like the two of them had been playing together for 50 caps. Instead, Christie has 14 caps and 4 goals since Malky MacKay gave him his debut in 2017. It took him a further two years to get his first goal against Cyprus and he hasn’t looked back since.
Much like McFadden, one particular goal has led to a legendary status amongst the Scotland support that will now make him exempt from criticism until the day he hangs up his boots. But at Celtic his future is probably less assured. As a few mentioned to me during those exchanges in the early hours of Friday, ‘your boys better get him signed up’ and they are probably right.
Celtic have an awkward situation arising with Ryan Christie. He has 18 months remaining on his contract and appears in no rush to commit to a new one, pointing out that last time around, he only had Celtic offer him a new deal when there was 5 months remaining on his previous deal.
Ryan may also have ambitions of playing in a more competitive domestic environment. His role playing off a target man as he did on Thursday, and performing so well, has probably had every chief scout in the English Premiership, outside the top six, being instructed to put together an assessment of the player. A counter attacking team’s dream is to have a target man and someone like Ryan Christie operating in the space behind. English football is full of identikit target men, the supporting role options are less plentiful.
Yet Ryan Christie doesn’t have such a defined role for Celtic. He has of course played as a number 10, as well as central midfield, on the right wing and even as a centre forward as he’s shifted around as a jack of all trades to accommodate some who are perhaps more a master of one.
His Dad, who likes to chat about his boy even prior to his becoming an overnight national treasure, has been stating his son’s preferred role is that of the number 10, but he’s never fully convinced of having the gears in his game to convince at that role with his club. Ryan appears to be foot to the floor with little pause for breath. In a counter attacking team with space to run into a supporting player may get away with that, in an attacking team where space is often at a premium you have to be more nuanced. Tom Rogic at present has that to his game and that position in the team. The master of one trade.
That may come into Ryan’s thinking when he has to decide on European football and silverware with Celtic or a hefty wage packet a preferred position but little chance of genuine glory down south.
So far, a deal has yet to be reached, though there may have been attempts made to discuss. From Celtic’s perspective the bargaining power, already weighted in the player’s favour with the time left on his contract, may be further slanted by his exploits this week. While some suitors, previously perhaps unconvinced, will now be certain of his worth to their footballing aspirations and poised to move.
Celtic can of course make Ryan Christie an offer, a good one, and see if it’s enough to keep him at the club. Otherwise, we may have to consider offers from this summer to avoid a player leaving under freedom of contract. But if it’s not just money, and if Celtic’s lack of European progress limits the carrot of continental competition, it could be a tough task for Neil Lennon or Peter Lawwell to convince Ryan that his future lies at Celtic. If it’s a particular position he craves then that could also prove problematic.
Meanwhile on the International stage Ryan Christie is Scotland’s main man. If he scores the winner against England his father intends to pop the cork on a 20-year-old bottle of man of the match champagne from his own glory moment at Celtic Park.
I might prepare for that one in advance and book the day off work. I’m not sure my Gaffer’s understanding of Friday morning would be replicated if Ryan Christie’s goal knocks his England team off its perch. We can only hope by the time he does just that, that Ryan is still a Celtic player and signed up for the foreseeable.
Niall J
