Setting aside his replies to questions asked by the hacks about Tuesday’s Champions League defeat in Madrid, Cameron Carter-Vickers gave a update on his own fitness levels, praised his current central defensive parter Liam Scales and talked bout his pride at wearing the captain’s armband after Callum McGregor was substituted up at Dingwall last weekend.
After his injury woes that have been ongoing one way or another for most of this year, the United States internationalist recess that he is getting closer to full fitness and that can only b positive news for every Celtic support in what has been a tough week.
“I feel good. I think you can always get fitter and improve but I’m feeling good. Every time I play I give it 100 percent and give it my maximum,” CCV said at yesterday’s media conference at Lennoxtown.
“Managing the load is discussed by the physio team that we have here. If they make a decision and they think something is best for me then all I can do is follow that. When I’m out there, I feel good,” he added.
For the past few seasons we’ve got used to the CCV- Carl Starfelt partnership at the centre of the Celtic defence and when that partnership played in the Scottish Premiership, Celtic never lost a single game.
With Starfelt’s summer transfer to La Liga side Celta Vigo, CCV was in need of a new partner at the heart of the Celtic defence and with the club bringing in Maik Nawrocki from Legia Warsaw, Gustaf Lagerbielke from IF Elfsborg and even the loan signing Nat Phillips from Liverpool, few would have imaged that the player establishing himself as the Starfelt replacement is Liam Scales, who looked odds on to be signing for Barry Robson’s Aberdeen after. successful loan spell at Pittodrie last season.
Cameron Carter-Vickers is clearly impressed by his current partner in the centre of the Celtic defence, praising the Irishman’s strong mentality. “Liam has done really well,” he said. “I think from the mentality that he went to Aberdeen last season and probably did think he wasn’t going to be at Celtic this season.
“However from day one in pre-season he came in and worked hard and he’s been ready. He’s waited on his opportunity and he has taken it and he is playing really well.
“That’s the most impressive thing about it in my opinion. The fact that three or four months ago he maybe thought that his Celtic career was over and now he’s got his chance and he showed that he was mentally ready to take it and mentally ready to perform at the levels that he has,” Carter-Vickers said.
When Callum McGregor was substituted up at Dingwall last weekend, with the game already well won and with Madrid in mind, the Celtic captain gave the armband to CCV to led the team in through the latter stages of the 3-0 Celtic win. And there’s plenty of pride from the former Tottenham defender at leading the Hoops.
“It is nice and it is a great feeling for me,” CCV said. “To know that the management here has that trust in me for when Callum is not on the pitch to take over that responsibility. For me, whenever Callum does go off I think it is just about continuing to focus on what I am doing and if I can help the people around me as well,” CCV said.
For the questions about the Atletico Madrid game on Tuesday night and the answers provided by Celtic’s Big Strong Man, watch the full media conference below…
