CHRISTIE’S DAY OF DESTINY

RYAN CHRISTIE has mixed emotions when he recalls Cup-ties against Aberdeen at Hampden.

He was Celtic’s matchwinner when he thundered in the only goal of the Betfred League Cup Final in November 2018 – Brendan Rodgers’ seventh and last piece of silverware as Hoops manager.

Six months later, Christie was stretchered off with a horrendous injury after being smashed in the face by Dom Ball, a former Dons team-mate during his 18 months on loan at Pittodrie. The villain was immediately red-carded by referee Craig Paterson – and that was the silky playmaker’s campaign ended there and then.

Goals from James Forrest, Odsonne Edouard (pen) and Tom Rogic gave Neil Lennon’s men a 3-0 victory and, of course, the Parkhead outfit went on to beat Hearts 2-1 thanks to a double strike from Edouard in the silverware showdown to achieve the unprecedented treble treble.

Now, following the ninth successive league title triumph and a 1-0 win in the League Cup Final last season, the Bhoys are two games away from an astounding TWELFTH domestic honour on the trot to achieve a stupendous quadruple treble.

So, the Scotland international star could be forgiven for what lies in store as the Hoops prepare for tomorrow’s delayed Scottish Cup semi-final against Derek McInnes’ side.

The cultured 24-year-old performer, however, selects a game in the Betfred Cup as his turning point as a player at the champions when he came on as a substitute against Hearts in the semi-final at Murrayfield in October 2018 and scored a superb goal and assisted with the other two in a 3-0 success.

Christie, speaking to this week’s Celtic View, said: “I remember being really frustrated because it felt like every time I was getting a chance, it wasn’t really working out for me.

“But the Hearts game was the one where I made the impact that I always wanted to.

“I also need to give credit to Brendan Rodgers at the time. We played Dundee in the next game after that and he told me that he couldn’t really pull me out after that performance.

“And I just stayed in after that.”

Christie will be hoping he can make another impact on the Dons to follow on his penalty-kick goal in last week’s 3-3 draw at Pittodrie.

As Ryan can testify, anything can happen when he is on the field and the side from the north east are providing the opposition.