Celtic star Tony Ralston admits he thoughts his Hoops career was OVER in the summer
CELTIC ace Tony Ralston has confessed he thought his Hoops career was OVER in the summer.
Full-back Ralston was virtually out of sight on the squad fringes.
And with new boss Ange Postecoglou coming in to oversee a major rebuild, he didn’t hold out much hope of extending his contract, which had expired.
But after being handed a one-year deal, the 23-year-old grasped his chance in pre-season to prove to Postecoglou that he could be a key part of his plans.
And since then, Ralston has become one of the Aussie gaffer’s best performers — with five goals, a Scotland cap and a bumper new contract through to 2025.
Speaking to ex-Hoops star Mark Wilson on Sky Sports, Ralston said: “It was hard last season, when you’re not playing and not involved.
“I spent a lot of time on the training pitch and put my work in there.
"When you’re not playing it’s not easy at times, but you need to keep yourself right.
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“It was natural for me to think it was coming to an end.
“I’ve been here since the age of eight, coming through all the years at the academy and all the ups and downs.
“But when I got my opportunity, I wasn’t going to let it go.
“I’m glad it came around the way it did. Now I’ve taken the opportunity and I just want to keep doing that.
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“When you see the other side of it, and now you’re on this side, you never want to go back.
“I’m delighted with how it’s gone so far.
"Now it is important to keep myself right, keep my head down and keep working.”
Postecoglou has implemented a system using inverted full-backs who come into midfield as often as possible but are also required to get back quickly when opposing teams counter.
It’s brought out the best in Ralston, who added: “The gaffer, since he’s come in, has been great.
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“Not just with me but all the boys in terms of being very clear on how he wants us to play.
“On a personal note, it’s obviously a new way of playing the position. It’s a way of playing I’ve never seen or done before.
“But he has given very clear instructions and that made it a lot easier for me in terms of learning that role. I’m loving the style now.
“At the start it was new and I had to learn it, but it was something we worked on every day in training.
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“It just goes back to the clear messages and instructions the gaffer gives. He instilled that confidence and belief that you can go and do it.
“From an attacking point of view, it gives us a massive advantage.
“We have a strong back four and a strong central midfield to help out with the defensive side.”
On his impressive goalscoring run, Ralston said: “It is nice to add that to my game. It’s not something I was used to.
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“But it’s really good to help the team in an attacking sense, as well as defensively.”
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