ALEX VALLE, on loan for Barcelona until the end of June next year, has opened up on his short-term targets at Celtic.
The 20-year-old left-back is determined to complete the campaign with a hat-trick of domestic silverware and to play his part in the team’s Champions League bid.
Valle was a stand-out performer in the Hoops’ heroic scoreless stalemate against Atalanta in Italy in midweek as Brendan Rodgers’ men made up for the debacle in Dortmund three weeks earlier.
Just to underline the Parkhead side’s achievement in Bergamo, the Europa League winners, top scorers in the Serie, added to their 18 goals in eight games by thrashing Verona 6-1 yesterday.
PUSH OFF…Alex Valle challenges Atalanta’s Lazar Samardzic for the ball in Bergamo.
Now Valle is hoping to get the nod from his manager to start this afternoon’s Premiership outing against Motherwell at Fir Park where the champions go into the tussle three points adrift at the pinnacle following Aberdeen’s 1-0 victory over Dundee United at Pittodrie last night.
Any win over the Lanarkshire outfit will see Celtic, with an 11-strike advantage in goal difference, go back to the top.
Opportunity has knocked for the enterprising Spaniard with Scotland international Greg Taylor struggling against injury although he should be in contention for this encounter.
Refusing to get ahead of himself, Valle admitted: “At the moment, I’m just looking forward to this season, I just go year-by-year.
“I don’t know what will happen in the future. But I’m enjoying it here. I love this city, it’s been great for me so far. First of all, I want to learn as much as I can here.
“I’m a young player, so it’s really important to play as much as I can and develop. Then, if trophies come, I’ll be happy, of course.
ON THE BALL…Alex Valle looks for attacking options as he moves forward.
“That’s what we want, everyone at Celtic, the fans and the players. It’s normal that we want to achieve that. We want to win as many trophies as we can this season.”
The team were given a massive boost in confidence against Atalanta after the battering against the Bundesliga club and Valle, speaking to the Daily Record, continued: “It was a great feeling – not just because of the result, but the way we did it.
“We showed a great shape off the ball which sometimes here in the Scottish league, we might not show all the time.
“We stayed together and managed to get a point in a really difficult match against the Europa League winners. So, we were really happy because we now know that, as a team, we can play in a different way.
“If we can stay together as a team, we now know we can manage to do great things.
“We didn’t have the possession at all times against Atalanta, but we still had a few chances. So, it proves that if you stay together, anything is possible.
“From a personal point of view, it was my first start in a Champions League match, so I was really pleased.”
Turning his attention to his immediate challenge of remaining in the team ahead of Taylor, the attack-minded defender commented: “The competition between myself and Greg is really healthy.
HOLD ON…Ross County’s Noah Chilvers gets to grips with Alex Valle in Celtic’s 2-1 win in Dingwall.
“He’s a great person and also a great player. It was unfortunate for him to get injured, but these things happen in football.
“However, it has given me the opportunity to come into the team. I’ve tried to take my chance and give the best I can.
Whether I stay in there is not my decision, I’m just trying to do everything I can in every game and training session.”
Valle added: “This move has been great for me so far. I have full confidence in myself, my team-mates, the staff – everyone at the club.
“They’ve been really close to me and they’ve helped me a lot. The city of Glasgow is awesome, I really like it. I’m really happy here.
“I’ve been settling in the city and at the club, but it takes time, especially because of the style and the way we play. It’s different to where I’ve come from.
“I’ve had to adapt and get better in every game. With confidence and getting minutes, I’ve been improving every week, but I still think I can do more and go even further.”
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