Cameron Carter-Vickers in action during the Premier Sports Cup Final victory over theRangers at Hampden on 15 December 2024. Photo AJ for The Celtic Star
Q: Was Saturday quite a satisfying win, just given the fact that the conditions were bad, the pitch wasn’t great. But you guys were able to just show what you’ve been able to show for most of the season. You played some good football, and it worked out?
Cameron Carter-Vickers: “Yeah, I think so. I think as a group, I think we kind of enjoy them, these matches. The pitch wasn’t great. It was obviously freezing up there but, I think we see it as an opportunity for us to kind of show how good we are and show we can do it, no matter what the conditions are.”
Q: “It’s all about just showing that same mentality tomorrow night when you go to Dens Park?
Cameron Carter-Vickers: “Yeah, 100 per cent. I think, every away game, especially this time of the year, is always a challenge. So, again, we know we’re going to have to be professional in our performance and perform at a high level to get the three points.”
Cameron Carter-Vickers of Celtic celebrates with teammates after the team’s victory in the penalty shoot out during the Premier Sports Cup Final between Celtic and Rangers at Hampden Park on December 15, 2024. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Q: How have you found this recent schedule? There’s been a lot of talk about the lack of winter break, obviously, with the European games now moving into January. Did it feel, over the previous Christmas period, you had a bit of light at the end of the tunnel because you knew you had a couple of weeks off? And now you don’t have that. Is the mindset a bit different?
Cameron Carter-Vickers: “For me personally, I grew up in England. I played in the Championship down there where there’s no winter break. So, for me, it’s not too uncommon. Actually, it’s difficult. It’s definitely demanding physically and mentally. But I kind of enjoy the game coming thick and fast and you kind of get in a rhythm of just playing every game and yeah, go from there.”
Q: Is that you feeling, because of that, you’re feeling as strong as you have done for a while. Because, obviously, you had a toe issue at the start of the season and a few issues in the previous season or two. Do you feel like you’re right in the groove now?
4th December 2024; Pittodrie, Aberdeen, ; Scottish Premiership Football, Aberdeen versus Celtic; Cameron Carter-Vickers of Celtic on the ball. Photo Vagelis Georgariou
Cameron Carter-Vickers: “Yeah, I think so. To be fair, if I’ve just come back from an injury, I feel like I’m pretty well prepared to come in and play. But, like you said, it definitely helps when you get a rhythm of games under your belt and the games, you start feeling the flow of stuff. And, yeah, I think performance definitely picked up at that point.”
Q: And the team as well, obviously, you’ve bounced back from that one defeat you had as well. Is it easy to get back into the rhythm when you do bounce back so quickly just to start again, start another run? Is that their mindset?
Cameron Carter-Vickers: “Yeah, 100 per cent. Obviously, that game was massively disappointing for us. But, as a group, we always knew that we could bounce back from it. And, like I said, the last few games, I think we showed we have that mentality to bounce back from tough situations. Which, to be fair, there haven’t been many of them this season. But, you definitely need to know that when they do come along, you can bounce back and that’s what we’ve shown.”
