CAMERON CARTER-VICKERS joined Celtic on loan from Spurs on September deadline-day 2021 in Ange Postecoglou’s debut campaign.
The Hoops had already suffered Premiership losses at Tynecastle and Ibrox by the time the rugged centre-back arrived.
He celebrated a 3-0 win over Ross County at Parkhead on his first appearance, but the team had that familiar sinking feeling in the next league outing as they slumped 1-0 to Livingston in West Lothian.
Three back-to-back reverses on their travels didn’t auger well for Postecoglou, Carter-Vickers or anyone else at Celtic.
Remarkably, the team did not lose another league match – all THIRTY-TWO of them – as they powered to an extraordinary title triumph after being written off early in the season.
Carter-Vickers obviously knows a thing or two of reacting in the face of adversity.
LIVI HELL…Cameron Carter-Vickers challenges Andrew Shinnie who scored the winner in the on-loan Spurs defender’s second league game for Celtic in September 2021.
The 27-year-old central defender has figured in all four of the champions’ reverses in 2025 following a concerning dip in form.
However, the England-born USA international aims to stop the rot against Kilmarnock in today’s 12.30pm kick-off in the east end of Glasgow on a weekend where the Hoops can seal the 55th crown in their coveted history.
Carter-Vickers is up for the challenge and said: “Before I came here, I played five seasons in the Championship down in England and that league is a lot more win, win, lose, lose.
“As a player, I’m used to not necessarily winning all the time and I understand that it’s actually very hard to win all the time, no matter who you’re playing.
“It’s definitely something we’ve done well over the last few years and, obviously, something we want to continue to do.
“You look at the game last weekend. It didn’t start ideal conceding a goal, but, after that point, I thought we created more than enough chances to win.
“I think, nine times out of 10, if you create those chances, you win. So, result-wise, it’s not a positive one, but, performance-wise, it wasn’t terrible. And that’s football.
“That’s why a team can be on top for 80 minutes and still lose a game. And that’s why people watch it, because it’s unpredictable.”
JOY BHOYS…Cameron Carter-Vickers leads Reo Hatate and James Forrest in the celebrations after Celtic’s Premier Sports League Cup victory at Hampden in December.
Carter-Vickers, speaking to Celtic TV, continued: “I completely understand the emotion of losing a game when the final whistle goes. I’m annoyed, we’re all annoyed.
“But at some point you have to kind of have a bigger perspective of the whole scenario and where you’re at in the season.
“It’s a fairly positive position. I think I’ve got a fairly good perspective of things, but I completely understand the emotion that people have in this sport.
“After a negative result, you’re then feeling negative about things until there’s a positive result. I understand that. But, at the beginning of the season, our goals are to win all the competitions domestically and have a good showing in Europe.
“We’ve got one cup in the bag so far, in a good position to get two more trophies domestically. Our Champions League campaign was a decent one and we showed we could compete at that level. Now you want to finish it in style.”
STAND-IN SKIPPER…Cameron Carter-Vickers applauds another Celtic win.
Carter-Vickers and his team-mates will concentrate on league points this afternoon before switching theor attention to the Scottish Cup a week tomorrow when the holders face Sunday’s Perth conquerors in the last four at Hampden.
This season the pivot has been partnered by Auston Trusty, Liam Scales and Maik Nawrocki in central defence and Brendan Rodgers is offering no clues to the identity of today’s sidekick.
The club’s stand-in captain added: “I train every day with all these guys, so whoever plays on matchday we are all used to playing alongside each other.
“Any defensive partnership definitely helps when you have a bit of consistency.
“But every day I’m working with these guys, so I know these players and they know me.”
* DON’T miss the unbeatable match report from Celtic v Kilmarnock this afternoon – only in your champion CQN.
