A YEAR ago today Ryan Christie was bracing himself a four-hour surgical procedure that would leave him with four metal plates in his cheek and one at the side of his head after a brutal aerial collision with Aberdeen’s Dom Ball in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup ended his season prematurely. A year on and the brakes have been applied again, albeit with significantly less personal pain involved.

If the surgeon who carried out the reconstruction of Christie’s battered face suggested that he had seen less damaged inflicted by a baseball bat – a broken eye socket, a broken cheekbone, a broken jaw and a serious head injury were the remnants of the Hampden incident – then it says much about the Scotland internationalist’s return to form this term that his displays suggests no lingering ill effects.

Christie had netted 20 goals for club and country prior to coronavirus putting a halt to the campaign with the 25-year-old a key performer for Neil Lennon. And given the frantic nature of a season in which he had clocked up 49 appearances, the midfielder has acknowledged that the suspension of normal life has given him an opportunity to reflect.

“It’s been an amazing 12 months overall and a year I’ll never forget,” he said. “There have been ups and downs along the way. It’s been pretty bizarre at times. I’ve suffered two freak injuries in big games but you also balance that with the highs. There have been some unbelievable moments, winning trophies and playing in huge matches.

“Now we are in this unprecedented situation and it feels a bit strange. There is a big pressure as a Celtic player and there will be highs and lows along the way. When things are going well, it could be easy to get caught up in everything. But you can’t look any further than one game ahead.

“It’s only when football stops, like a moment we are in just now, that you get the chance to reflect on things. You realise then that you can’t take the good times for granted and it just makes you more determined to get back out there.

“I was delighted with the way I started in the qualifiers and the early league games.

“The defeat to Rangers [at the end of December] and my injury that followed meant we finished the first half of the season on a bit of a downer. That was frustrating but I got over it and the team were flying after the winter break.

“The games towards the end of the season are the ones I always look forward to the most. We now don’t know if we are going to miss out on that but I am happy with my season up until football stopped. If you’d told me at the start that I would have 20 goals for club and country by this stage, I’d have been pretty happy.”

For now, though, Christie is content to turn his focus to softer pursuits as he tries to keep mind and body busy during the surreal lockdown experience. And it is the expertise of a former Celt who has encouraged him to get the music books out.

“Gary Mackay-Steven was my first teacher,” he said. “I took lessons off him for six months. I am nowhere near as good as he is. The stuff he can play is ridiculous. But I was saying the other day that I need to get the guitar back out again and start playing. When I first took lessons, I got really into it and was doing well. I can play Wonderwall by Oasis but after a while I hit a brick wall! I’ve not been playing at as much recently but I really enjoy it. There is a sense of achievement to learning a song.

“There are loads of YouTube videos to help you but I play left-handed, so they aren’t as easy to follow. I am watching someone play right-handed and then trying to flip the chords in my head. It’s not the easiest but I do enjoy it and I’ll try to play more during this period.

“The club have given us a programme to follow during the lockdown. I’ve been running in the morning and then I’ve turned my living room into a bit of a gym.”

“I am doing a bit of yoga too and basically taking the chance to do the small things that might help me. Yoga and that type of stretching is really important but during the season, with a game every three days, it can be hard to find the time. You don’t always have the energy to do those things but right now, I am giving it all a go.”

Meanwhile, there was no surprise for Christie when Damian Duff was named as part of Stephen Kenny’s backroom staff in the Republic of Ireland set-up. Duff will officially take up the post in August with the understanding that he will combine it with his current coaching role with Celtic.

“Just being around him and listening to his stories, you realise what a massive career he had,” said Christie. “We all know he played at an elite level and it’s been invaluable to have someone like him to learn from.

“He played alongside world-class players and his stories are brilliant. When he’s giving advice, everyone listens as he’s played at the very highest level. Duffer is also very clear in getting his point across and we all understand what he wants.”

Ryan Christie was speaking to promote the Celtic Player of the Year awards for 2019/20. Fans can vote by logging onto https://poty.celticfc.net/home