CELTIC playmaker Ryan Christie last night stressed he had no problem starting all three games for Scotland during the international break and denied it had a negative impact on his performance against Hibernian.
Parkhead manager Neil Lennon last week revealed he had been unhappy that national boss Steve Clarke had fielded Christie in the matches against Serbia, Slovakia and Israel.
The midfielder, who was unable to prevent his side from being held to a 2-2 draw by Hibernian in the Premiership on Saturday, admitted that he could understand Lennon’s concerns.
However, the 25-year-old emphasised that he wants to represent his country as often as possible and is confident that doing so won’t be detrimental to his club form.
“I think every manager with the players would be the same,” said Christie. “It was the same with John McGinn at Villa and KT (Kieran Tierney) at Arsenal as well.
“The clubs are always going to have a wee moan when players are asked to play three games in a short so pace of time. But for me personally, I’m certainly not going to complain about getting to play for my country as many times as I can.
“I want to rack up the caps so you are never going to hear me complain about it. I still felt fresh on Saturday and managed to complete 90 minutes with no problems.”
He added: “I’m always wanting to play as many games as I can. The three games in seven days was tough especially after the celebrations of the first one.
“But I’m always wanting to play. It’s nice going away with Scotland and to be successful, but you want to come back to club football and hit the ground running as well.
“I’m frustrated myself for not scoring against Hibs. I thought I might have been able to get on the score sheet, but it wasn’t to be. I’m just looking to get up to top form with my club now.”
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