“It’s more about my performances and how I affect my club team,” Luke McCowan

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The Celtic Star

·11 de janeiro de 2025

“It’s more about my performances and how I affect my club team,” Luke McCowan

Luke McCowan spoke to the mainstream media at Lennoxtown yesterday afternoon ahead of Celtic’s match in Dingwall today which kicks off at 12.30pm. Here’s everything that the Celtic midfielder said in response to the questions put to him by the hacks…

4th December 2024; Pittodrie, Scotland; Scottish Premiership, Aberdeen versus Celtic; Luke McCowan of Celtic on the ball as Heltne Nilsen of Aberdeen challenges. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

Q: Luke, you started the last two games, how are you finding your own personal form at the moment?

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Luke McCowan: “It’s alright, I’m being effective within the team but I’m always going to try and ask for a bit more of myself and get more goals and assists. But no, as I said, it’s just about results and helping the team get that, that’s the most important thing and then the numbers come after it.

Q: What have you made of the team’s response to the defeat at Ibrox last week?

Luke McCowan: “Not surprised, to be honest. We knew it wasn’t good enough that night, but you put it right by how you react and we’ve reacted positively and just need to keep going from there.

Luke McCowan at Tannadice, Dundee Utd v Celtic, Sunday 22 December 2024. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: Is that what the manager’s been saying to you? Because we spoke after the game at the weekend and he said that it’s almost like the Dortmund game over in Germany, that wasn’t who he wants his team to be and that’s the same at Ibrox. Is that the message he’s been conveying to you boys?

Luke McCowan: “Yeah 100 per cent, but he doesn’t need to convey that, I think we already know that. As players we don’t want to have nights like that at all but if it happens it’s about how you react to them and as I said the boys have done unreal for that and we just need to keep going.

Q: In terms of yourself in the middle of the park, you and Arne (Engels) have started the last two games, neither of you started at Ibrox. How much are you relishing the midfield battle between the four or five of you that are all vying for those three starting spots and do you feel that it’s bringing your game on this year, the kind of competition?

Luke McCowan: “Yeah I was actually going to say that I think that it’s not like a battle, everybody makes each other better. I’m learning off great guys, I’m learning off international players, for myself personally it’s unbelievable. So we just need to keep doing it and you make each other better, therefore the performances get better on the pitch so that’s what the main thing is and all the boys that I’m playing with and up against in training have been unreal so it’s just need to continue on that.

Luke McCowan of Celtic shoots past Eli Campbell of Ross County & Ross County goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw and scores to give Celtic a 2-0 lead. Celtic v Ross County, Scottish match at Celtic Park on 30 November 2024 Photo Stuart Wallace/Shutterstock

Q: Looking at the short period that you’ve been here, is moving to Celtic everything what you hoped it would be?

Luke McCowan: “Aye and more probably but it’s about, I don’t really want to think about it too much, once my career’s over then I’ll kind of clap myself on the back or just say well done to myself but just now it’s about working hard and as you say, trying to get on the team and making sure.”

Q: Just on that note, given how many fixtures are coming up both at domestic level and Champions League, that desire to continue to play must be great?

Luke McCowan: “Yeah 100 per cent. I think that’s because of the amount of games we’ve got, you kind of hope that you’re going to play minutes regardless of being from the bench or you’re starting So aye it’s something I look forward to and I think the amount of games is, I’d rather be playing games than training to be fair – it’s been good so far.”

Luke McCowan celebrates scoring the second goal during the Celtic v Ross County Scottish Premiership match at Celtic Park on Saturday November 30, 2024. Photo Steve Welsh

Q: The manager just said a few weeks ago that he was in no doubt that one day you would get international recognition, how much of a drive is that for you?

Luke McCowan: “It is and it isn’t, I mean I’ve never had it so it’s not something that I’m like trying to chase back or get. If it comes it comes, I’m happy enough to be at this football club and if being at this football club brings the international call then so be it but it’s more about my performances and how I affect my club team instead of worrying about Scotland just yet If that comes I’ll be relishing it but if it doesn’t I’m not too bothered.

Q: I know you’re talking about the international, we’ve spoken to you before about your mindset coach and things like that, is that not something you as a player who’s starting for the top team in the country, are you not setting that as a goal for yourself internationally?

Luke McCowan celebrates scoring the second goal during the Celtic v Ross County Scottish Premiership match at Celtic Park on Saturday November 30, 2024. Photo Steve Welsh

Luke McCowan: “Well yeah, I do obviously, I would set it as a goal now but it’s not something I’m worried about or it’s not something that I’m like chasing it. I’ve got it as a goal because obviously when you’re coming on in Champions League games and you’re playing with the best team in the country, you hope that you’ve got more of a chance of it but if it comes it comes, as I said that’s not something I’m chasing. I just will relish it if it does.

Q: What would you say the biggest change in you has been since you came here, is there something that’s happened that you’ve taken on board to improve your game?

Luke McCowan: “My hair’s went browner!”

Q: Have you stopped dyeing it?

Luke McCowan at Rugby Park. Photo Vagelis Georgariou for The Celtic Star.

Luke McCowan: “I might need to get back to it! Nah I would say just probably football knowledge like tactically, you gain so much more knowledge when you come here, obviously, you’re playing a different style of football and also how to deal with big pressure games. I would say, obviously you don’t play in an awful lot when you’re at Dundee or even at Ayr or whatever but when you come here it feels like every game’s that kind of game that means everything and it’s shown obviously with the amount of effort, the amount of hard work that gets put into the games. It’s been a real kind of helping factor for me to kind of fit in here, so it’s been good.

Q: We always hear about the culture at the club as well, has that helped with settling in and seeing whatever the else was doing and that kind of sense as well?

Luke McCowan: “Yeah, I think you’ve got that, obviously you’ve got great, don’t want to call them role models because they’re my teammates but it’s guys that have been doing this for years now, even Greg who’s like my age like it’s just great to see how he handles the pressure. The likes of Cal, Jimmy (James Forrest) like everybody’s been unbelievable and seeing them how they handle all the stuff’s like helping me deal with it all and it’ll help me to deal with stuff in the future. I work with the mindset coach JJ and he helps me deal with all that, so it’s been it’s been good and seamless.

Luke McCowan celebrates his goal with James Forrest. Photo Vagelis Georgariou for The Celtic Star

Q: Your old team took points off your rivals last night, did you watch the game?

Luke McCowan: “I watched it aye.”

Q: What did you make of it?

Luke McCowan: “I mean, I don’t really focus on that – I was just watching it as a neutral, you could say! My old gaffer Tony Doc, he’s a great guy and you just want kind of success for him, he was good to me and you just kind of hope that his team can push on and get positive results.

Q: In terms of the 15-point gap between yourselves and Rangers now, you wouldn’t think that you’d have envisaged that when they beat you a few games ago and now it’s a 15-point gap it’s bigger than it was before that. Is it something you discuss in the change room anything you talk about, no?

Luke McCowan: “I’ve said it before we don’t discuss that.”

Q: It’s true though yeah?

Luke McCowan of Celtic is seen on the pitch with a guide dog prior to the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic FC and Dundee FC at Celtic Park on October 30, 2024. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Luke McCowan: “Aye I’m positive on that. You go game by game and it’s as sad as it sounds it’s so boring but that’s how this works and this is how this whole culture works. The next game’s as important as the last one and you just need to kind of keep going that way. The most important thing that comes is your performances and as you said the performance wasn’t great at the derby but you just need to react to that and we’re going to keep doing that.

Q: Is it the the old adage, Luke, if you did end up looking at the points gap that subconsciously players could start thinking well this is quite a healthy advantage that’s why we don’t do this?

Luke McCowan: “Probably, but you don’t want to do that. That’s the last thing you would do because then would probably drop your game like any other team would. So you wouldn’t want to do that and I’m sure the boys won’t do that at all until it’s mathematically possible that we’re going to be winning the league.

Luke McCowan celebrates his goal with James Forrest and Alistair Johnston. Photo Vagelis Georgariou for The Celtic Star

Q: You mentioned uh Dundee there your old teammate Lyle Cameron getting linked with quite a few clubs. Are you surprised with the apparent interest in him?

Luke McCowan: “Not at all, he’s a great player. He’s done well considering how quickly he got pushed into the Dundee first team. I remember him coming back for Peterhead and then two months later something he was straight back in the squad and he’s done well ever since. Listen it’s great news for him and I know just by knowing him he always wants to push better. He’s a person who sets a lot of goals for his career and um if he gets them then good on him. I’ve not spoke to him since since summer, but it’s been it’s been good to hear the news that’s coming out.

Q: I appreciate all the focus is going to be on tomorrow’s game but obviously next week the big game is against Young Boys. How much of an opportunity do you think that is to secure that playoff spot?

Luke McCowan: “Aye, hopefully. I mean it’s just another Champions League game and every Champions League game you get at home is absolutely special so I’m hoping I can play my part in that. As I said, a positive performance hopefully leads to a positive result and we can solidify our spot in that.”

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