The Celtic star is keen to make an impression on manager Neil Lennon.
Celtic midfielder Olivier Ntcham has revealed he is doing extra training on his own in an effort to shine for the Hoops first-team on a regular basis, speaking to The Celtic View (20/11 print edition, page 5).
The Frenchman, who was Celtic’s recent goal hero against Lazio, hasn’t managed to hold down a spot in Lennon’s starting eleven so far this season, with Callum McGregor, Scott Brown and Ryan Christie preferred.
The attitude of Ntcham appears to be spot on in response.
He’s keen to continue to make a positive impact, even doing more work than necessary to keep himself fit and ready to be thrown into action.
As quoted by The Celtic View (20/11 print edition, page 5), he said: “The manager and coaching staff trust me to train myself. I don’t always need to ask them. I will check with them sometimes because I’m not going to do extra work one day before a game and not be fresh for the match.
“I think the manager has been pleased to see me put in the work. It benefits not only me but also the rest of the team because hopefully, it makes me a better player.”
It’s all paid off recently. It was his last-ditch effort that sent Celtic through to the knockout stages of the Europa League with two games to spare.
If he can continue providing that kind of contribution then he’s almost certainly going to get more minutes in a Celtic jersey than he’s currently receiving.
Just eight of his 19 appearances have come from the start of a match this term.
Ntcham’s attitude has sometimes been called into question, especially following summer comments to L’Equipe that suggested he was eager for a move away from Scotland.
However, it appears he’s as eager as ever to make a Celtic impact.
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