Starfelt’s Media Interview Was Great, Especially The Answer On Celtic’s Squad Strength.

Carl Starfelt – who I’ve written about a lot today, it seems – was on media duties yesterday and I thought his answers to the questions were spot on. I particularly enjoyed the deft way he handled questions about the strength of the squad.

Every player at this club right now brings a strong mentality to the table.

He is no exception. If he follows the media at all he knows that he was getting critiqued – a mild term for it – this time last season and that the hacks were trying to turn the fans against him, as they had attempted to do with other players over the last few years.

But he showed great mental strength to zone it all out and get on with the job.

He turned in superb displays towards the end of the last campaign.

We brought in defensive cover in the summer, in the guise of Moritz Jenz, on loan. A good signing, who I’ve already argued today we should make permanent.

Now we’ve brought in Kobayashi and the Canadian Alastair Johnston who, as it turns out, can play a central role as well as out on the right. That increases our options. It makes life a little tougher for those who are already fighting for their places.

But Starfelt isn’t in the least bit concerned by that. In fact, he sounds like a player who is positively relishing the challenge. That’s what we all want to hear.

“They are really good guys, they are good positive characters, both of them. I think they are coming in with good energy, they will contribute to the team and also really good players from what I’ve seen so far – all positive,” he said. Which confirms that these guys are part of the Ange philosophy of signing the right sort of people.

“I think everyone knows at a club like Celtic, who are always pushing to take the next steps and get better, it’s going to be like this.

“It’s going to be tough competition for the spots … I think every player is, from what I’ve seen, embracing it, knowing that they have to step up in training and perform every day. You can never relax. So I think it pushes everyone to hopefully become a little bit better.”

Brilliant comments, and the proof that he’s built of the right stuff.

It’s also a vindication of Ange’s team-building strategy.

When nobody’s position is safe, when nobody feels entirely secure, you get better displays all round … and when everyone realises that their own role is mostly about where they fit in the big wheel they all recognise that it makes for a better, and stronger team.

This is what our success is built on … and every player is buying into it.