SEAD HAKSABANOVIC has made a positive impression during his short time at Celtic, and he has been helped along the way by some pointers picked up in extra sessions with coach Harry Kewell.
The former Liverpool superstar has been quietly working away in the background with Celtic’s attacking players since arriving in the club in the summer, passing on the knowledge he gained from his long career at the top of the game.
Haksabanovic says he is benefitting from that extra training with Kewell, as well as the support of manager Ange Postecoglou, as he looks to build upon his promising start to life in Scotland.
“He is very clear in what he wants from me,” Haksabanovic said. “And I know I have his support. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here.
“Plus I have been doing some extra work with Harry as well. They are all there for me and I am just very happy about that.
“If I need something I am not afraid to ask someone. They are all really good guys and I am just really happy to be in this team.
“I like it here. I am enjoying myself. I like the league. I think it is a good league with a good level. I am enjoying myself with the staff and my teammates and everything. So it is all good.”
Haksabanovic may have known a little of what to expect from Champions League nights at Celtic from his prior knowledge of the club, but a distinctly Scottish domestic challenge now lies ahead against Livingston at the Tony Macaroni Arena tomorrow.
His teammates have been filling him in about what to expect, but he is certain that if they can reproduce the performance levels they have shown against the European elite, then they should be able to come away with a crucial win.
“They have told me a little about it,” he said. “And they said it is tough going there and playing there.
“But you know, every game is tough in this league and in the Champions League so it is like they say: ‘no easy games’. We just have to score more goals than them.
“We just have to bring the things we did well on Tuesday and bring the things we can do better and we will need to be one hundred percent focused on our game plan and give one hundred percent.
“As a football player you want to play games more than you want to train. Yes, it is tough for us but we know we have a good squad, and we have a lot of players.
“We just have to make sure that we bring what we do in the Champions League in the league.”
