BIG brother will be watching when Patrick Roberts features for Celtic in the William Hill Scottish Cup final on Saturday.
It isn't just the 20-year-old Londoner who has allowed the Parkhead side to get under his skin in the last 18 months, his elder sibling Adam - a man who apparently feels he deserves as much credit as Brendan Rodgers for making young Patrick the player he is today - has also become a regular and whole-hearted observer at matches home and away.
But then you could say he gets the better half of the deal. On the occasions when Patrick has the day off, he still dutifully finds a place standing on the touchline to watch Adam plying his trade for Barnes Eagles in the Chiswick and District Sunday League.
Read more: Celtic's Patrick Roberts: My heart goes out to the victims of the Manchester bombing
“He enjoys going to the games, he gets right into it," said Patrick of his brother. "And he is not a bad player, a striker. He says I’m the player I am because of him being the bigger brother. I was the annoying little brother that used to dribble past him and he and his mates used to kick me about the park, you ask my mum about that. So now it’s routine for it to happen on a Saturday.
“He plays down south for an amateur team called Barnes Eagles, which is not far from where I lived down south," Patrick added. "So when I have a day off and they are playing on Sunday I’ll sometimes go down and I’ll watch him play. It's usually a couple of dogs, a few fans and me. And a couple of fights.
“But he appreciates that, he comes and watches me and I love watching him just as much," he added. "We’ve got the support of our mum and dad who follow us around as well, like they did when we were kids. He’s been in a couple of cup finals but he’s lost them both, so I hope I don’t lose on Saturday."
He may have played his football in London, Manchester and Glasgow thus far, but Roberts admits he was actually a boyhood Liverpool fan, born to a somewhat mixed-up football-daft household where his father supported Liverpool and his mum was dyed-in-the-wool Everton. His cup final memories included watching his idol Steven Gerrard leading Liverpool to FA Cup wins in 2006, Carling Cup in 2012, and the Champions League in Istanbul in 2005.
Read more: Celtic's Patrick Roberts: My heart goes out to the victims of the Manchester bombing
"It was Liverpool for me when I was growing up so they didn't get to too many finals," he recalls ruefully. "They got to the Carling Cup final in 2012 which I was at with my brother. And 2006, I remember watching when they got to Istanbul. My cousins actually went out to Turkey. They stayed the whole game, thankfully!
“My idol was Steven Gerrard, I know he’s a centre-mid, but growing up he was a big idol for most players. There weren't really any wingers, at least not until Messi came along. But as a Liverpool fan growing up that Gerrard volley in the FA Cup final against West Ham was one of my best memories, that was nice."
As far as Hampden memories go, Roberts has a bit of a mixed bag - running riot against young Myles Beerman in the Scottish Cup semi-final made up somewhat for a spurned open goal against the same opponents at the same stage last season. There is, of course, no small matter of helping his loan team to the first invincible domestic season in the Scottish game since 1899, an achievement which would be rounded off quite nicely if the Parkhead side could celebrate only the fourth treble in the club's history at the weekend. "That miss against Rangers is gone," said Roberts.
This young man, of course, has already made a fairly significant sacrifice to be at Scotland's national stadium on Saturday. He could be in South Korea with England in the Under-20 World Cup right now, part of a side which have made a fine start to the competition with a 3-0 win against Argentina and a draw yesterday against Guinea. “They have one more game left and I hope they qualify," he said. "It was a big decision because I’ve played with then since the under-16s, I know all the lads, we've played a lot of games together and they are my friends. I did want to be part of it but being at Celtic is massive as well. It was a tough decision but I’m happy I made it and now can’t wait until the final."
Read more: Celtic's Patrick Roberts: My heart goes out to the victims of the Manchester bombing
Saturday will be the last game of Roberts' excellent 18-month loan spell but the big question is whether it is his last match for Celtic full stop. The least Manchester City will expect for their player is the £12m they parted with for his services from Fulham, while the Parkhead side may have to burst their wage bill if they are to persuade him to join on a permanent transfer, but if he returns to the Etihad this summer and finds himself still out of favour, the memory of the warmth displayed towards him by 60,000 a week at Celtic must be worth something.
“Could I stay?" he said. "It’s hard. But one thing my mum has always said is that you want to be adored by fans and I’ve always wanted to get people off their seats, that’s what I enjoy, putting on a show. It is great to hear the fans sing my name and to feel that love is something I could only dream about.
“If you go to a place and you don’t get that love, and every footballer will tell you this, it can be difficult and times can get tough," he added. "The love you get here at Celtic is second to none. You won’t get this at most places. I am enjoying being here, and the admiration they have given me means I just want to play well for them and make them happy on Saturday."
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