Luke McCowan tells a story of Hampden frustration driving his determination to land Celtic Scottish Cup glory
Celtic midfielder hasn't had the best of experiences at the national stadium but wants to grab a chance to put that right by beating Hibs on Sunday.
Luke McCowan is sick of being left on the outside looking in at Hampden. The midfielder’s experiences of the national stadium so far have left him feeling like the odd man out with both Celtic and Ayr United.
But with just 90 minutes against Hibs standing between the Hoops and a return to the home of Scottish football in the Scottish Cup, McCowan is hell bent on ensuring his days of having to take a Hampden backseat are over.
The 27-year-old admits it was a “horrible” experience having to watch from the stand as his team mates lifted the first silverware of the season back in December. McCowan was cup tied having played for Dundee earlier in the campaign - and had to be dragged onto the park for the trophy presentation by skipper Callum McGregor after the thrilling penalty shoot out victory over Rangers.
Spot kicks were to blame for McCowan’s only proper 90-minute run out at Hampden too. As a youngster with Ayr the playmaker at least got to play 90 minutes as the Honest Men went to penalties against Queen’s Park in a 2018 Challenge Cup tie - only to be brutally torpedoed from the penalty list by boss Ian McCall before losing the shoot out.
McCowan said: “Aye, funny story about that. The game went into penalties and I was told I wasn't allowed to take one. Because Queen’s Park got a guy sent off, you need to take a guy away.
"And I was the guy they told to bolt! I think I was the youngest in the team at the point, and the manager Ian McCall just said, 'aye, you, off'. And I was like, ‘right, fair enough’. I wasn't that bothered to be fair, I was probably glad at the time that I didn’t need to take one.
"So, aye, if I was to go back, well obviously I've already been back and not got to play yet, but hopefully going back to create a better memory. As soon as you're cup tied and not involved in the squad, there's nothing worse - other than being injured really.
“December’s final was horrible actually. I didn't even want to go on the pitch. Callum was pure dragging me on because they understand that it's not just that game, it's the training and the week before it. It's everybody pushing each other to make them better. But I didn't even celebrate with the boys really in the changing room.
"I didn't play a single game in it. So I know come this one I'm sure if things were to go our way and you go to the end of the season and you've got it, then I'm sure I'll celebrate a bit better. But the main focus on is getting through this stage and kind of taking it round by round."
Incredibly the last seven days have been the first time since before Christmas that the Hoops haven’t faced two games in a week. Brendan Rodgers’ side played 20 times in 10 weeks since drawing with Dundee United on December 22 as their Champions League challenge finally came to an end in Munich.
It’s been an eye opener for McCowan. But the rest - and the chance to spend proper time with his family and pet pooch Kobe - was appreciated after three months of working like a dog.
He said: “I didn't realise how hectic and hard a schedule it was, especially my first time doing it. This week has been a lot better. I’ve managed to go to the shops and get a bit of shopping in and walk the dog for a wee bit - he didn’t even recognise me for that three months!
“It just feels nice to be at home with my family and mum after training, not needing to pack a bag and get ready to travel anywhere. That's the first time I've gone through that and luckily I went through it with no scars.
“You're coming away with it going, that's a good learning curve and hopefully next year you're doing the same because you want to be in as many competitions as possible.”
Hibs were blown out the water by Celtic in the fight to land McCowan from Dundee last summer. The player admits there was only going to be one winner in that contest. But he’s well aware of the threat David Gray’s side pose tomorrow - off the back of a stunning 15-game unbeaten run that included that 2-1 win over Celtic in Leith a fortnight ago.
McCowan was hooked at half-time in that one. And he said: “It was probably the first time I felt myself being part of a team and it not going well.
“I was speaking to my mindset coach about it and he was just saying the first time in your Celtic career, six or seven months in, that's the first time it's gone wrong. It's alright, you'll take it, but it happens in football.
“There's no point in sulking, you've got to move on and go and impact the next games that are coming along. I’ll be looking to do that again on Sunday.
“I was aware of Hibs’ interest (in the summer). As soon as I knew Celtic was involved, it's them or nothing really. To be fair, my head wasn't turned at all. It was just one of those things. I don't know how it would have panned out if Celtic were never interested, would I have gone? I don't know.
“As soon as Celtic were involved, you can't turn that down. It was never really in the question. Hibs have been in great form. They pose a threat, of course, and it'll just be an interesting one.
“It'll be good for the kind of neutral, with the amount of fans they're allowed to bring through. It's a mouth-watering tie.”