Erik Sviatchenko, the Celtic defender who is currently on loan with Danish club FC Midtjylland, has singled out Parkhead captain Scott Brown as the catalyst for Brendan Rodgers’ side ahead of Sunday’s league encounter at Ibrox.
Brown celebrated a testimonial dinner this week at the club and his influence within the dressing room has been evident, particularly in recent seasons. Brown’s form this term has made him one of the candidates for the Player of the Season award but it is his leadership qualities that Sviatchenko has revealed come to the fore in games such as Sunday’s.
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“I am really settled at Midtylland and loving playing football again after being injured and then being out of the team,” said Sviatchenko. “But one of the things that I miss is the feeling of running out of the huddle at the start of a huge game like Sunday’s after listening to one of Scott’s team talks.
“He is not aggressive in the huddle but he is determined and he gets to the point. When he has finished with what he has got to say you have that extra 5% as you hear the roar from your own support. It is a great feeling.
“He is one of the few players who has that special button. He can be silly and playing around one minute and then he hits the button and he is in full-on game mode. He can carry people where he wants them to go and that is a special kind of leadership.
“It is a funny word to use to describe someone at this stage of his career, but for me, he is always developing. To be able to play at Celtic and at that level for ten years tells you that you need always to be striving for improvement and I think you can see that in him. He is capable of providing that little bit of inspiration that gives you a little extra bit in your legs.”
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Sviatchenko has acknowledged that the decision of whether or not he will experience another one of the moments in the huddle lies with Rodgers. The Celtic manager called to check in on the player last month following his January exit from the club and while ideally Sviatchenko would like to return to the Celtic dressing room for the start of a new season, he has admitted that what comes next in his career is out of his hands in some ways.
“The transition has been easy because I lived here for ten years before so it has all gone very smoothly,” he said. “I also have played since the first minute I arrived at the club. In the last month I have played five games and have also trained very well. I am close to reaching the percentages that I would like to be at but in the next few weeks I will hopefully catch up to that level.
“It is lovely for my family to be near my son and for him to see his grandparents a little more regularly just now. It is nice for everyone.
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“It is difficult to give a verdict on what will happen in the summer. Much of that is because it is not down to me. I will always be positive and give my best and right now it would be amazing to be part of a Midtjylland side who went on to win the title. That would be amazing.
“I want to focus my energy on that and then in the summer I will speak to Brendan Rodgers and see what his thoughts are. Ultimately it is his decision. I am at an age now where I need to play football. I don’t want to be in and out.
“I am positive but I am also realistic and I know that it comes down to what the manager thinks and he is very honest. I spoke to him last month. Brendan called me to see if we had settled in here and I thought that was a very nice gesture. He was pleased that I was in the team and playing games and we will see what happens now over the next four months.”
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