CARL STARFELT played only his tenth game for Celtic in the 3-0 win over Ross County at Parkhead at the weekend.
But already the £4.5million arrival from Rubin Kazan in late July has experienced the rollercoaster effect of being part of the Ange Postecoglou revolution.
Starfelt was thrown into the first team only two days after joining the Hoops and, understandably, failed to hit the ground running in the 2-1 Premiership defeat against Hearts at Tynecastle on the opening league day.
The Swede admits he was taken time to settle in at a new team as well as a new country and he took some flak for a dreadful own goal in Alkmaar, but, to his credit, he got his act together and played a key role in getting the club over the line into the Europa League group stages with the kick-off to the section due on Thursday against Real Betis in Seville.
GREEN FOR GO…Carl Starfelt is a scarf ace on day of signing in July.
Starfelt was paired with Nir Bitton in Edinburgh, then had Stephen Welsh as a partner and was placed beside another new Bhoy, Cameron Carter-Vickers, in Saturday’s victory over Malky Mackay’s Dingwall outfit.
However, the 26-year-old Sweden international centre-back is beginning to feel more comfortable in his surroundings – on and off the pitch.
Starfelt said: “It’s a very nice city. I didn’t know much about it when I came here.
“But I’m surprised at how nice the city is. There are some good restaurants and nice buildings and nice places all around.
“I’m sure I’ll continue to enjoy it more and more when I get to know the city better.
“I’ve met the Celtic fans when I have been exploring the city. They are everywhere!
“It’s very nice to get some cheers in the streets. They have been very good.
“I am living here on my own. But it’s a very nice team here. Everyone speaks English which is a bit of a change for me since I came from Russia.
“But the team is very nice and I have friends already.”
FACE OF DETERMINATION…Carl Starfelt is easing into life at Celtic.
Starfelt is aware he has already stepped onto the Hoops rollercoaster after a mere 10 outings and, speaking to the Daily Record, said: “Of course, I know. I have played football for a long time and I know you will have difficult moments. But then every player will have difficult moments.
“You’ve got to just push through them mentally and if you keep working hard it will turn around and that’s what I’m trying to do.
“I try to work hard every day and keep my confidence up and that’s what my focus is on.
“I feel like I have more to give. I feel like it’s getting better.
“I feel more secure for every game. I just need to keep working hard and hopefully I will only grow.”
Starfelt added: “It was obviously important to get the win against Ross County.
“We lost the last two games, so it was important to stop that. We had some good parts in the first-half and we had some good chances.
“We kept on playing and in the second-half we scored. We also kept a clean sheet.
“It wasn’t the easiest game, but it’s nice we keep going even though we didn’t get the results in the first half.
That’s a positive and we can take that with us in the coming games.”
