“The boys know the importance of this,” Luke McCowan

In partnership with

The Celtic Star

·15 August 2025

“The boys know the importance of this,” Luke McCowan

Luke McCowan spoke to the Scottish mainstream media ahead of Celtic’s Premier Sports League Cup clash against Falkirk at Celtic Park tonight…

Luke McCowan of Celtic in action during the pre-season friendly match between Celtic and Newcastle United at Celtic Park on July 19, 2025.. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

The Hoops midfielder also addressed Celtic’s upcoming schedule which includes a first trip to Kazakhstan for McCowan. The 27 year-old also spoke candidly about the squad depth and the increased competition for places. You can read everything he said from yesterday’s media conference below.

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Luke McCowan of Celtic celebrates scoring to give Celtic a 1-0 lead. Celtic v St Mirren, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, Glasgow, 3 August 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace, IMAGO / Shutterstock (The Celtic Star)

Q: What does this cup mean to everybody?

Luke McCowan: “It’s another competition. You want to go and do well in it, like every other year. It’s ours to defend, so you want to go and put in a good performance, especially at home. The boys know the importance of this, as well.”

Q: Don’t need to look far to see what Falkirk are capable of. Are they not to be taken lightly?

Luke McCowan: “Aye, of course. They have got a coach there who has been here, and who everybody speaks so highly of. It is a team that you know he coaches really well and demands a lot from them. They’ll come to Celtic Park with no difference and with high standards of their own.”

Luke McCowan of Celtic celebrates with teammates Callum McGregor & Johnny Kenny after scoring to give Celtic a 1-0 lead. Celtic v St Mirren, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 03 August 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace. IMAGO / Shutterstock (The Celtic Star)

Q: Do you personally thrive on this type of schedule, because you know that the squad is presumably going to be needed for the cup? There’s a trip to Kazakhstan in there as well that I’m sure you’re looking forward to. Is this where everybody needs to step up?

Luke McCowan: “This is the time that the manager goes on about it being a squad game. The squad is needed with the amount of games we play. Obviously, we’re travelling to places like Kazakhstan, which is hours away, so you need your squad of players. It is just about being ready when you’re called upon and making an impact.”

Q: I’m going to guess that you’ve never been?

Luke McCowan: “Never!”

Q: What are you thinking about the schedule coming up?

Luke McCowan: “I’m looking forward to it! I have never experienced this, and I’ve never played a Champions League qualifier as well, so it’s a good match to be a part of. We need to go and put in a good performance that will get us through.”

Arne Engels scores the first goal from the penalty spot during the pre-season friendly match between Celtic and Newcastle United at Celtic Park on July 19, 2025 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Q: The last couple of games, you have been on the bench, but you look at either side, and Arne Engels and Paulo Bernardo are both there. Does that highlight the strength in midfield that the manager has got to utilise?

Luke McCowan: “Yeah, I think you know that even looking at the squad on paper, the midfield is a hard place to get in. Once you’re in, you have to try and hold your spot. As you know, with matches, it is all about rotation and being ready whenever you’re called upon. We know, as a midfield, that’s where you win or lose games, so you need to be really strong and dependent on that. The boys in midfield take credit for that.”

Benjamin Nygren of Celtic celebrates scoring to give Celtic a 0-1 lead. Aberdeen v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, 10 August 2025. Photo IMAGO/ Shutterstock, Stuart Wallace

Q: Does that help drive the standard of the team? You look at Benjamin [Nygren] coming in and getting a goal and an assist in his game at the weekend. Does that show that everybody needs to be on it every single week?

Luke McCowan: “Yeah, but that’s for every position – you need to be on it every week. The boys know in midfield, even with Benji coming in, who is new, the likes of Reo’s quality, Paulo, Arne and myself. Callum leads the line. It’s a good place to be, in midfield, and we need to keep pushing ourselves to strive for more.”

Q: Do you look back on moments last season, lifting trophies? Is that perfect motivation for these early rounds?

Luke McCowan: “Yeah, 100 per cent. It is about going and defending the competitions that you hold and putting on good performances that lead you onwards in the competition. We know the importance of this game, early on in the cup. You want to keep pushing and working hard, especially at home, and you want to give the support a good game.”

Photo: Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: Despite it being a different competition, can you use the hurt you had in May in the Scottish Cup final in this game?

Luke McCowan: “I guess so, you can use it for any game that you’re going into. You don’t want to feel that hurt. As I said, it is battered into us here, the performance levels, regardless of who you are against. It is about us and putting on that intensity and level of energy in games. They can create good performances that can lead to us going through, or three points in the league. It is a constant drilling here of good performances leading to good results.

Q: Do you enjoy that?

Luke McCowan: “I love it. I said that yesterday, that every action, pass, or press has to be at the highest standard possible. That is what we credit ourselves on. You need to be at it. These games are no different.”

Almaty Central Stadium. Capacity 23,804. Almaty, Kazakhstan

Q: Do you feel that the squad is timing it right? These two Champions League qualifiers are arguably the biggest games of the season so far. Are you timing it right for those games?

Luke McCowan: “Yeah, I hope so. It’s what you want; you want to hit top form right away. If you could paint a perfect picture, then that’s what you would want. However, you know that’s not the case, as you can go through a season, hitting top form, then you might dip. The bar keeps getting higher, as well as the ceiling. We need to just keep working hard and look forward to these fixtures.”

Q: From the outside, there’s an obsession over squads and what they’ll look like from the support. When you’re a player already there, do you have to detach yourself from it and wait to see if new teammates turn up one day?

Luke McCowan: “It is probably a selfish answer, but you’re probably just focusing on yourself. Whatever goes on outside the training pitch is the club’s business. We know with this squad of players that we’re pushing, and we’re loving it in training. We’re going into games so confident, so it’s a selfish one where we’re focusing on ourselves. If new teammates show up, so be it, and if they don’t, we know we have enough quality to push on.”