ANTHONY RALSTON will remain laser-focused on Celtic’s three remaining games of the season – even if he views them from the substitutes’ bench.
The right-back has been a bit-part player at the Hoops since Ange Postecoglou introduced Josip Juranovic in August 2021 as the Greek-Australian gaffer revamped the devastated squad that had completed the previous season without a trophy for the first time in 11 years.
Ralston showed patience and may have thought there was a chance of a run in the top side when the Croatian international defender made noises about leaving and alerted Union Berlin in January 2023.
ROARING SUCCESS…Anthony Ralston is top of the heap as Celtic celebrate their Premier Sports League Cup Final penalty-kick shoot-out triumph over Ibrox opposition at Hampden in December.
The defender, a £2.5million buy from Legia Warsaw, left for a reported £7.5million, but just before he departed for the Bundesliga club, Postecoglou swooped for Alistair Johnston.
The Canadian full-back, who had just played for his country in the World Cup Finals, arrived in a £3.75million switch from MLS side CF Montreal, won three medals in his first five months and has been a mainstay since making his debut in a 2-2 derby draw at Ibrox.
Through it all, 26-year-old Ralston has remained diligent and made sure he is ready when he gets the call to step up.
The 20 times-capped Scotland star has just played back-to-back games – the 1-1 draw at Ibrox and the 3-1 win over Hibs at Parkhead – but accepts he could be asked to make way for the returning Johnston in the Scottish Cup Final dress rehearsal against Aberdeen at Pittodrie on Wednesday night.
There are no transfer tantrums from the boyhood Hoops supporter who is following in the footsteps of Callum McGregor and James Forrest as a one-club man.
FAN-TASTIC…Anthony Ralston celebrates with the Celtic supporters at Hampden.
Ralston said: “I’ve been here all my life. I’ve been here since the age of eight and worked all my life to be a Celtic player.
“I’m a Celtic fan, I come from a Celtic family. So, days like Saturday, playing at Celtic Park, my friends and family coming to the game – I mean, I’d be silly to say that I want anything else.
“Of course, you want to be playing and I’ll continue to keep my head down and work for that. But, you know, Celtic’s my job and this is where I love to be.
“The sun’s beaming down, I’m playing a game of football at Celtic Park. If you’d said when I was a kid that that was what I was going to do, then I wouldn’t have believed you.
“I never take it for granted.”
Ralston is on the brink of his 14th honour and is determined to play his part in the club’s bid for a sixth treble in nine phenomenal years.
The popular back-four operator, speaking to the Daily Record, continued: “In my personal situation and a few other boys, there isn’t always the guarantee that you’re going to train through the week and get the game at the weekend.
“If I were to not put the performances in or work hard in training, then when the opportunity comes, I’d only be letting myself down because I wouldn’t be able to take it, ultimately.
“So, I’ve just kept professional, just kept my head down and trained every day.”
DERBY DELIGHT…Anthony Ralston takes to the air as Adam Idah celebrates his equaliser at Ibrox.
Brendan Rodgers has set his players targets as they prepare for the Dons in the north-east, then St Mirren on Flag Day in Paradise on Saturday before their attention turns to the Hampden showpiece against Jimmy Thelin’s outfit seven days later.
Ralston added: “We want to beat records. We want to keep pushing. There’s never nothing to play for. There are always goals you want to achieve.
“We’ve got a few games left to complete, some achievements and targets that we’ve got.
“Obviously, we want to finish the season off as strongly as possible and make it really memorable. We know what we need to do in order to do that.
“But it’s already been a magnificent season for the boys in the squad and everybody involved.
“So, we double down now even harder to finish it off as strongly as we can.”
