Luke McCowan craving the ultimate Celtic experience in Champions League as 'wee one per cents' can help deliver it
Luke McCowan admits it would be special to start in the Champions League.
But any game-time will provide more valuable minutes to cherish. And, even if he doesn’t get onto the park in Zagreb, McCowan will still soak up every second to ensure he’s fully ready when his next opportunity comes. The Celtic ace would love a taste of the action against Dinamo.
So far in the competition, McCowan has secured one sub appearance against Atalanta, but he’s savouring every second of being an integral part of Brendan Rodgers’ Euro unit. If it’s not Zagreb, McCowan seems certain to get into a Celtic Champions League starting 11 at some point in the future and he smiled: “Of course, that would be a special moment, that would be one that I’d want to tick off. So I’d be looking forward to that.”
It’s step by step for McCowan. He wants to push on, but he also knows the value of just being part of the scene as he builds his Celtic career. Asked about potentially getting that start in the Balkans, he said: “Hopefully. I mean, that’s the manager’s decision.
“I’m sure if I’m doing well enough, then he’ll put me in and he’s got that trust in me. If he doesn’t, then I just need to keep trying and keep plodding away. Hopefully if it’s from the start. If I come on, if I don’t even come on, so be it. I’m always learning.
“I’m always taking [in] things watching from literally on the bench and learning maybe for next year if I’m a part of it, or the year after, or even the next game. I just need to keep seeing how these games are because it’s obviously new to me and I can just, hopefully, be a part of the team that’s going to get results and make impacts.”
Rodgers’ squad are making those impacts regularly this term as McCowan stated: “The boys are showing they can do it. Obviously I’ve not played in a lot of games, so I can’t really speak for them.
“But the game I came on away to Atlanta, it wasn’t any different. It was just about knowing that you’re playing with quality, against quality, so you just need to keep grinding away and it comes at you fast.
“I got 15 minutes, something like that. It was still an unbelievable moment for me, but I want more and, hopefully, I can get more.”
It’s a massive week for Celtic with the Zagreb clash followed by the Premier Sports Cup Final. McCowan can’t face Rangers due to being cup-tied, which could, perhaps, assist his chances of appearing against Dinamo.
He said: “Hopefully. If that’s the case, so be it, but, regardless, I’ll be helping the boys out come Tuesday and then Sunday.”
McCowan’s positive outlook epitomises his bright footballing talents and a deep thirst for knowledge. Nine days ago having starred against Ross County, he was spotted asking Rodgers questions after a 5-0 win, trying to find ways to get better.
He explained: “100 per cent. I’m not here because I’ve made it or because I think I’m at the Celtic level yet. I want to try and push beyond that and try and get to the level all these boys are playing at, just be a team member, I want to kind of be a starter, I want to push myself and learn every single day.
“That day, I was probably more frustrated because, at the time I came off, Ross County probably got a wee inch in the game and I didn’t want them to. I’ve been here and got beat 5-0, so I was probably trying to make sure they weren’t getting anything in the game!
“It was just about learning. It’s probably time and place. I maybe should have waited until afterwards. But when I know something is there and want to ask a question, I’ll always ask it. I was just desperate to kind of know right there and then what I’d done wrong or how can I learn for the next game?”
Such application and the demands are improving McCowan as he added: “100 per cent. The intensity that you train, intensity of the games, the standard everybody holds you at, the professionalism you have to keep.
“Every wee thing you can imagine. It’s all the wee one per cents that are all adding up and I can definitely feel it in my game. It’s about kicking on now.
“I’ve probably said in so many interviews now, it’s like any other job, you need to push on. You can’t just dwell on it and say, oh I’m here, I’m buzzing for it.
“I need to push players, need to get positions, need to try and impact in games, I need to get goals and assists because that’s why you’re here. You’re here to try and push for leagues and cups, so that’s what I’m hoping to do.”
Standards drive Celtic. It’s why there was an honesty after beating Hibs 3-0 at the weekend. They can never drop as he said: “If you lived like that, then I think you would probably slip up in these games, if you don’t give it the importance that it needs.
“We know every game is as big as every one, regardless of whether you’re away in the Champions League, or if it’s a cup final, or if it’s a home to Hibs. You need to be at it.
“It’s funny, you score three goals, you come away with a clean sheet and you’re frustrated, it’s a bit weird. But it’s the standards we hold for ourselves. We still come away with three points and that’s all really that matters.”
