Celtic’s De Vries relishing opportunity to put things right in Europe

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The Dutchman was part of the Celtic starting line-up that lost 7-0 to Barcelona in last season’s Champions League group stage.

Celtic goalkeeper Dorus de Vries, 37, insists he has been loving life as a Bhoys player despite limited game time throughout his Hoops career so far, according to the BBC.

The veteran Dutchman, who joined from Nottingham Forest ahead of last year’s treble-winning season, enjoyed a strong start to his Celtic career. However, following an embarrassing 7-0 loss at the hands of Barcelona, Craig Gordon quickly re-established himself as the club’s number one.

Since then, De Vries has struggled for minutes on the pitch but, due to Gordon’s recent season-ending knee injury, the 37-year-old has found himself back in the fold once again.

According to the BBC, De Vries spoke of the importance of minutes on the pitch, however, he stressed that despite his limited appearances the Dutchman is loving life in Glasgow as much as he could be.

Having played in the last three Celtic games, the veteran is now relishing the opportunity to make amends in the upcoming Europa League tie against Zenit St Petersburg, with an eye on putting his last European appearance behind him.

“It was a disappointing night in terms of the result and as a goalkeeper, it’s really hard to take on board that you conceded goals,” said De Vries.

“Even if you concede one, it’s always hard to take on as a goalkeeper because you don’t want to concede any goals, simple as.

“It’s still a sore spot in terms of I hate losing. I can’t stand it. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Barcelona or Partick Thistle, you want to win, simple.”

De Vries and his teammates will be hoping for a much improved performance on last weekend’s disappointment at Rugby Park as the Hoops were unable to breakdown a frustrating Kilmarnock side, losing 1-0.

However, with the Dutchman getting back into the swing of things between the sticks, the Bhoys can take some confidence going into the weekend and beyond.

“I’m getting into my rhythm now, I’m getting into my flow in terms of playing with the players in front of me, getting a better and better understanding, recognising game scenarios, all that kind of stuff,” De Vries added, “With that comes confidence and rhythm. I’m getting there.”