THERE were uncanny parallels between Celtic’s nail-biting win over Young Boys last week and the previous occasion the Parkhead club secured qualification for the Champions League knockout rounds 12 long years ago.
It took an own goal from Loris Benito with just four minutes of regulation time remaining for Brendan Rodgers’ side to secure the home victory they needed to progress to the next stage of Europe’s elite club competition last Wednesday night.
Back in 2012, the Glasgow giants required a Kris Commons penalty eight minutes from the end of their final group game against Spartak Moscow in the East End to go through to the last 16 for the third time in their history.
Yet, for Efe Ambrose, the Nigerian internationalist who played at centre half for Neil Lennon’s team in that memorable triumph, there are numerous similarities between the current side and the one he represented as well as their accomplishments on the continent.
Ambrose has played for many clubs, including Hibernian, Livingston, St Johnstone, Dunfermline Athletic, Morton and Queen of the South, since departing Celtic seven years ago, but he still follows their fortunes closely to this day. “It's that kind of club,” he said. “Once you've been there, it's kind of always with you.”
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Now at Workington in the Northern Premier League Premier Division down in England, the 36-year-old admitted that he has watched their Champions League games against Slovan Bratislava, Borussia Dortmund, Atalanta, RB Leipzig, Club Brugge, Dinamo Zagreb and Young Boys a with interest during the past four months.
As Celtic prepare to round off their league phase campaign with a difficult encounter against Premier League opponents Aston Villa in Birmingham tomorrow evening, he explained why he feels they have finally achieved their objective this term after so many failed attempts and crushing disappointments.
“I have enjoyed seeing Celtic do so well in Europe this season,” he said. “For me, it all started in pre-season. They played great and beat the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea. I think that gave them that confidence that they can do well in Europe ahead of the new season, showed them that they can beat anybody.
“When we qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League, there wasn’t one outstanding player for us. We obviously had some great footballers. Fraser Forster, for example, has to be the best goalkeeper I have ever worked with. But it was the team as a whole which was responsible, everyone played their part.
“I think it is exactly the same with this Celtic side. They have been very good as a collective unit. Credit for what the team has achieved this season has to go to everyone. They have a big challenge to be at their best in every game and satisfy the fans. But they have been at their best every single time.
“Cameron (Carter-Vickers) and Auston (Trusty) has been very good defensively when they have played together. But each player has to be right on top of their game whenever they take to the field when it is a Champions League night if they are to get results. They can’t rely on somebody else to do it for them. But everyone has played their part.”
However, he was always well aware that, with Kelvin Wilson, Victor Wanyama, Thomas Rogne and Charlie Mulgrew all alongside him in the squad, he risked being dropped if he failed to perform and admitted that a fear factor was present whenever a match kicked off.
He believes that Rodgers has the same intense competition for places in every position in his starting line-up at the moment and thinks that has been crucial to their success this season.
“That's how it is at Celtic,” he said. “It's up to you to perform. You know that is you fail to perform to the required level then somebody is waiting to take your place. No one is indispensable at Celtic.”
Ambrose, a £1.5m signing from Ashdod in Israel on the final day of the summer transfer window in 2012, was quickly made to realise what standards were expected of him by his new captain Scott Brown, team mate James Forrest and manager Lennon after he arrived in Scotland.
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He suspects that Forrest, even though he has been sidelined since the Premier Sports Cup final win over Rangers last month, and current skipper Callum McGregor have been important for Rodgers throughout the season and have helped the foreign players to integrate into the set-up.
“The Scottish players we had back then were so important. Guys like Scott Brown, Charlie Mulgrew and James Forrest really gave it everything. You know, it was almost like our life was in line every time we played.
“So when you are a new player you know the kind of attitude you need to have in every game. You have 60,000 people inside the stadium who are depending on you and you have to be at your best at every time.
“Celtic has a great tradition and a huge support across the world. You can see the magnitude of the club in the reaction there always is to their results. You have to realise and embrace that when you play for them.”
Ambrose continued: “So I think guys like James and Callum are so important to Celtic just now as they can really help the team to connect and stabilise. That is particularly true when new guys come in.
“These are the sort of players can help them to realise what the club is all about. Knowing what is expected of you takes the pressure away to an extent. For me, that is what has happened this season.
“Of course, they have the coach as well. He has been there before and enjoyed great success in Scotland. But I am sure he will be the first guy to say that what the likes of Callum and James do behind the scenes is important as well.”
