AARON MOOY is happy to be a Bhoy and admits he is living the dream at Celtic.
The Australian midfielder is enjoying the thrill of performing in the Champions League group stages while he is heading for the World Cup Finals in Qatar in a couple of months’ time.
Mooy, who celebrated his 32nd birthday yesterday, is poised to return to his former club St Mirren for Sunday’s High Noon showdown in Paisley.
JOY BHOY MOOY…Australian midfielder Aaron Mooy is loving life at Celtic.
Ange Postecoglou landed his former Aussie star on a two-year deal in the summer after he quit Chinese Super League outfit Shanghai Port and he has become a vital member of his first-team squad.
Mooy made his introduction to Europe’s elite competition when he came on as a 72nd-minute substitute for Matt O’Riley in the 3-0 loss against Real Madrid and it was the same story in midweek when he replaced the Danish Under-21 star in the 1-1 draw with Shakhtar Donetsk in Warsaw.
The astute anchorman is competing with the likes of O’Riley, David Turnbull and Reo Hatate for places in the engine toom of the team and he said: “There is so much talent in the squad. I try to think back about what I was doing at their age and I wasn’t that good.
HOOP HOOP HOORAY…Aaron Mooy joins in the celebrations following Liel Abada’s goal in the 3-1 win over Ross County in Dingwall last month. Giorgos Giakoumakis, Greg Taylor, Filipe Jota and Matt O’Riley share the joy.
“I’m a bit older, so maybe it’s a bit different for the younger guys, but we believe in ourselves and that is what you have to have to do if you want to compete at this level.
“Everyone is different, but I try not to think about the occasion and try to think only about the actual football game. It seems like everyone is comfortable and we are just focusing on how we want to play and following what we do in training.”
Mooy admitted the Hoops were “just a little bit off” in the Polish capital where they should have returned with more than a solitary point from a game they dominated for most of the 90 minutes-plus.
The experienced campaigner, speaking to the Daily Record, continued: “Yeah, it’s amazing. I’m loving it. Every time they play the song. I always dreamed of hearing that music when I was playing.
“Even when I am coming on in the matches, it’s still an amazing feeling. “You watch Champions League on the TV growing up and you hear the song and you think: ‘One day could you imagine playing in that’.
ON THE BALL…Aaron Mooy has looked the part at the Hoops.
“But when you get on the field, you don’t think about it, you just think about playing football and doing what you do every day and every week.”
Asked if there was disappointment in the dressing room after the stalemate with the Ukrainians, Mooy answered: “Yes, there was a bit. It was a bit similar to Real Madrid in that we had good chances and we didn’t put them away and it was a bit disappointing that we didn’t get a win.
“We did quite well. We created lots and enough chances to win the game and we just lacked a little bit of composure and concentration when we had the opportunities.”
The champions may have misfired in Europe, it certainly hasn’t been the case in domestic football where they have racked up 29 goals in seven games.
The Saints defence could be in for a busy encounter at the weekend.
