CAMERON CARTER-VICKERS admits he is in pursuit of perfection as the Celtic defensive rock focuses on a league and Cup double.
The champions have five Premiership hurdles to clear on their way to a third successive title triumph while they will bring down the curtain on an eventful season with a Scottish Cup Final clash against Philippe Clement’s Ibrox side at Hampden on May 25.
Carter-Vickers was forced to miss the exciting crescendo to the previous s campaign when he underwent surgery on a knee problem immediately after the 1-0 Scottish Cup semi-final victory on April 30 when a header from Filipe Jota settled the derby outcome.
THE ONLOOKER…Cameron Carter-Vickers watches as jubilant team-mates Oh Hyeon-gyu, Sead Haksabanovic, Filipe Jota and Alistair Johnston celebrate the 2-0 title-clincher against Hearts at Tynecastle last season.
The US World Cup centre-back watched on a week later as strikes from Kyogo Furuhashi and Oh Hyeon-gyu saw off Hearts at Tynecastle to seal the club’s eleventh crown in 12 years.
The £6million man, who was recruited from Spurs in the summer of 2022 following an impressive season-long loan, was on crutches as he joined in the celebrations at the end.
He missed the remaining four league matches before taking in the Cup Final action against Inverness Caley Thistle on June 3.
Versatile Tomoki Iwata teamed up in central defence alongside Carl Starflet as Ange Postecoglou’s men triumphed 3-1 to cement their place in world history books as the only team to win eight domestic trebles.
Carter-Vickers has no intention of missing out this time as he sounded a rallying cry as Brendan Rodgers’ men prepared for the visit to Dens Park on Sunday to take on Dundee.
The 26-year-old pivot, speaking to the Daily Record, said: “We’ve got our place in one Cup Final. Does it feel like we have five more in the league before then? One hundred per cent.
“We will probably need to win all of our games in the league to get to where we want to be.
“It’s still tight in the table as three points is nothing. That’s one game.
STAND-IN SKIPPER…Cameron Carter-Vickers takes charge in the absence of Callum McGregor.
“They are all big games coming up now – five in the league and then the Cup Final. So, we’ve six games left and they are all must-perform and must-win for us.”
The Parkhead side are three points clear and, after the match on Tayside, they have home fixtures against Hearts and Rangers before a midweek confrontation against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park, a venue where they have lost twice this season.
Coincidentally, Carter-Vickers, hampered by a persistent groin strain, missed those two defeats. New Bhoys Maik Nawrocki and Gustaf Lagerbielke were paired in the 1-0 League Cup exit on August 20 and Liam Scales and on-loan Nat Phillips were in their place in the 2-1 setback in the league on December 10.
Celtic complete their Premiership crusade against St Mirren at Parkhead on May 18 before turning their attenton to the showpiece showdown at Hampden a week later.
Carter-Vickers is determined to play his part on this occasion.
