BENJAMIN NYGREN wants to keep alive his feelgood factor when Celtic take on Dundee at Dens Park on Sunday afternoon.
The champions’ top scorer with 19 goals in his debut campaign enjoyed success with Sweden during the international break.
Nygren, a £1.7million bargain buy in the summer, played his part in his nation’s two triumphs over Ukraine and Poland in the play-offs to secure their place in the World Cup Finals in the USA, Canada and Mexico which kick off in June.
The 24-year-old midfielder is now focused on Celtic as they attempt to lift their fifth successive title with just seven games to go, starting with a second trip to the venue where they lost 2-0 to Steven Pressley’s club in October.
THAT WINNING FEELING…Benjamin Nygren celebrates striking the points-clincher against Aberdeen at Pittodrie last month.
On that occasion, Nygren was hooked just after the hour mark to make way for Luke McCowan with the visitors already trailing by two goals and heading for an unlikely defeat.
But he is looking forward to reversing that result this weekend and said: “I come back very happy and bring a lot of confidence, so I just want to do the same thing here.
“In a way, it’s a little bit of the same situation. In Sweden, we were counted out and we made it. That feeling was absolutely unbelievable and I want to do the same thing here.
“We just keep training hard and believing. I think that’s the most important thing. Believing as an individual, but also as a group and as a team. With the whole club, players, staff, fans, everyone together, then we can make it.
“In tough moments, you can really show who you are as a person and as a team, so that’s what we need to do.
“I’ve said it before, but I think we’ve got a great group, a great team and we’ve showed many times this season that we never stop believing or working hard. So, I’m believing in this group.
THAT WINNING FEELING…Benjamin Nygren and team-mates show their joy at Sweden clinching a place in the World Cup Finals in the summer.
“There’s been a break and now we’re feeling fresh as individuals and as a group, and we’re going into the Dundee game to win and take it game by game. I’m sure we’ll make it.”
On Sweden’s achievement of reaching the soccer extravaganza in the summer, Nygren, speaking to Celtic TV, continued: “It was an unbelievable experience, something that I’ve dreamt about since I was a kid.
“Graham Potter been unbelievable – what a coach and what a person, too. He’s brought the group together so well.”
Tunisia, as well as Daizen Maeda’s Japan and Netherlands are in the same group and that could lead to Nygren facing Hoops team-mate Sebastian Tounekti.
The goalscoring middle-of-the-park performer, added: “Seba and I have spoken about it a lot and he really wanted us to win through so we could play each other in the World Cup.
“That will be amazing.”
First up, though, for Nygren and Tounekti and their colleagues is to concentrate on three points at Tayside on Sunday.
‘DO I HAVE BELIEF IN THE TEAM?’ ASKS MARTIN
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