“The place has a good feel around it, as you can imagine,” Anthony Ralston

The Celtic Star

·19 December 2024

“The place has a good feel around it, as you can imagine,” Anthony Ralston

Celtic and Scotland right-back Anthony Ralston spoke to the media this afternoon ahead of Sunday’s trip to Tannadice to face Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership…

Anthony Ralston in action during the Premier Sports Cup Final victory over theRangers at Hampden on 15 December 2024. Photo AJ for The Celtic Star

The hacks tried their best to turn the conversation to theRangers not getting a penalty kick in the Premier Sports Cup Final last weekend but they got nothing out of Tony who was happy to talk about Celtic winning the trophy and also to look forward to the next game as Celtic get back to business in the league.

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Ralston also discussed Scotland’s World Cup draw and gave his thoughts on Kieran Tierney amid intense speculation that his Scotland teammate is set to return to the club he loves in the January transfer window.

Earlier today on The Celtic Star Just an Ordinary Bhoy suggested that Alistair Johnston should be rested ahead of the trip to Ibrox on 2 January, and that Anthony Ralston should start Celtic’s remaining three matches in 2024 against Dundee United at Tannadice on Sunday before playing Motherwell on Boxing Day at Celtic Park and then St Johnstone, again at Paradise on 29 December.

Anthony Ralston in action during the Premier Sports Cup Final victory over theRangers at Hampden on 15 December 2024. Photo AJ for The Celtic Star

Anthony Ralston being put up for media duties today hints at that suggestion not being too far off the mark.

Here’s everything that was said at Ralston’s Media Conference…

Q: How’s this week been after the success of last weekend?

Anthony Ralston: “Yeah, it’s been good. It’s what you want to do in your career. From a personal and team point of view, it is important to win cup finals. So, the place has a good feel around it, as you can imagine, and we’re in a good place. But, you know, that’s in the past now, and we’re fully focused at the weekend.”

Anthony Ralston during the Premier Sports Cup Final between Celtic and theRangers at Hampden on Sunday 15 December 2024. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: Is that the key to success? This team barring a few changes here and there have had so much success over the years. Is it just about parking that, you know, enjoying it at the time, but parking it and just always looking to the next trophy?

Anthony Ralston: “Yeah, it’s important to, when you win cup finals, you win trophies, which this club’s built on. You do take the time to soak it in, be with friends, be with family, be with your teammates, and staff, and enjoy it. It doesn’t last long, because you always get the next game, which is the most important one. We’ve enjoyed it, and we’ve taken it in, but we’re ready to get back to work.”

Anthony Ralston in action during the Premier Sports Cup Final victory over theRangers at Hampden on 15 December 2024. Photo AJ for The Celtic Star

Q: Quiet celebrations for some did the other guys enjoy being at the darts?

Anthony Ralston: “Yeah, that’s right. Quiet for some, not quiet for others, but that’s it. No matter how you enjoy it, it’s about, like I say, soaking it in, which otherwise they’ve done in their own way, which is nice.”

Q: A lot of talk over the last few days about maybe not the success of Celtic winning a trophy, but refereeing decisions, or certain refereeing decisions. Is that something that the players listened to at all, or something that’s gone over the last week?

Anthony Ralston: “If I’m being honest, not overly. It’s not a place to do that. From my point of view, I didn’t look too much into it after the game. There was an on-field decision made at the time, which isn’t down to us to make as players. There wasn’t much said about it till after the game when ultimately we’d won. So it’s part and parcel of football. I can speak on behalf of the other lads, I don’t take much to do with it, to be honest. The officials do that side of it and the important thing for us is we had a job to do, which was win the trophy, which we’re all delighted that we’ve managed to do.”

Celtic players watch on during the penalty shoot-out during the Premier Sports Cup Final between Celtic and theRangers at Hampden on Sunday 15 December 2024. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: Were you guys in the dressing room talking about it the last couple of days?

Anthony Ralston: “No, like I said, we haven’t spoken about it between ourselves or anything like that, or paid attention to it. We’re just, obviously, delighted we were able to do our job for the club and the fans and deliver a trophy, so that’s what we were focusing on.”

Celtic celebrations after winning the Premier Sports Cup Final between Celtic and theRangers at Hampden on Sunday 15 December 2024. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: You are a local have you been surprised by the aftermath of a decision and controversial incident like that?

Anthony Ralston: “Not overly, it’s the football world, there are going to be opinions, and there are going to be different views on things, but as players, we are just solely focused on the football and getting the job done, which I’ve said we’re delighted that we’ve done. It’s not something that we’re going to do well on, to be honest.”

Q: We saw the guys celebrating at the darts and there was a 119 sign there as well. How important was it for players to get that?

Anthony Ralston: “Yeah, you know, it’s an important point in our history as a club, and we’re delighted we were able to deliver that to the fans all around the world, everyone that tuned in, everyone that was at the game, everybody connected. It’s a special thing, but it’s another marker for us as a group of players, and we want to keep delivering success, and that’s what drives us every day to do that.”

Q: A lot of the narrative externally has been about a certain decision, does it feel as if the success that you guys had last weekend has maybe been overlooked?

Anthony Ralston: “I wouldn’t say so. It’s all about views and opinions, and that’s going to come with things. I don’t feel as if it’s put any sort of dampener on our success. I mean, we’re all buzzing, we’re all extremely happy with the outcome of the game. We’ve got our hands on the trophy, and that’s all we care about, to be honest. Everything else is something that we’re not going to overly pay attention to.”

Q: Just on a separate note, the club is interested in bringing Kieran Tierney back up the road. You grew up with him. What kind of player is he and what could he add to the Celtic squad if indeed that is the case?

Anthony Ralston: “Yeah, I’m not overly aware of the situation, but in terms of what you’re asking about Kieran himself, I know him very well in terms of being here before, and obviously through the Scotland set-up over the past few years, and he’s a great guy, and a terrific player. I don’t know much about his situation or anything like that, but to answer your question, he’s a top player and whatever he decides to do I’m sure it’ll work out.”

Celtic celebrations after winning the Premier Sports Cup Final between Celtic and theRangers at Hampden on Sunday 15 December 2024. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: That quality of player, is that what’s required here to continually improve this squad?

Anthony Ralston: “Yeah, for sure. You see the quality we’ve got within the squad just now is amazing over all the positions. Everybody that comes in knows our job and does it to the best of their ability. I’m sure anybody else coming into the fold, regardless of who it is, they’ll understand that very quickly and also be able to do that.”

Q: Have you seen him improve a lot in the last couple of years?

Anthony Ralston: “Of course, signing for Arsenal, and being with him in Scotland then you still see the quality of player that he is, so that’s clear. Since leaving, and even before when we were at Celtic together as well, so we are all well aware of him and regardless of his own situation, I’m sure it will work out for him.”

Celtic celebrations after winning the Premier Sports Cup Final between Celtic and theRangers at Hampden on Sunday 15 December 2024. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: Figures like that as well who know the club so well and know what trophies like the one at the weekend means to the players, to the supporters. Is that the type of character you always need around the team?

Anthony Ralston: “Yeah, obviously. He knows the ins and outs. He’s been here before and it’s important. The likes of boys that have grown up fans and have come through the system and understand the importance of getting your hands on the trophies because this club’s about the demand of winning trophies is there.

“Players are made well aware of that regardless if you came through the system, you’re a fan of the club since you were a boy or you’re coming in from foreign countries or different backgrounds. You very quickly understand that this is a club built on success and it’s important that you deliver that. It’s important to have that around but everybody here regardless of where you came from or who you support, they fully know that and you can see that with how we’re performing.”

Celtic celebrations after winning the Premier Sports Cup Final between Celtic and theRangers at Hampden on Sunday 15 December 2024. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: Can I ask your thoughts about the Scotland World Club draw recently?

Anthony Ralston: “Yeah, I think any draw you were going to get was going to be a tough one so we’ll be able to deal with that when that time comes around. It was always going to be difficult but we are going to meet it head-on and take that challenge on when it comes.”

Q: It’s an exciting year ahead, isn’t it? You got the play-off against Greece then the World Cup draw so it is a big year for Scotland…

Anthony Ralston: “Yeah, for sure. Coming off the back of the Euros and then obviously the recent camps which have been successful, you can see that we can perform at that level. When the time comes, the group of players that are required at that time will be ready to go and we’ll take that head-on.”

Q: We’ve had a couple of Euros qualifications over the last few years but does the World Cup just have a real different feel about it? Growing up watching the World Cup, is that something you’ve always wanted to participate in and is that just a really different challenge now?

Anthony Ralston: “Yeah, I think anybody in the timeline of their career would dream of playing in a World Cup so it would be something that everybody would be desperate to achieve. When that time comes we will meet it head-on. I’m sure everybody with their own clubs will have a lot to do before then so we look forward to it when that time comes.”

Q: It’s Dundee United on Sunday, they are a previous club of yours? Do you remember your time there with fondness?

Anthony Ralston: “I have a lot of brilliant things to say about Dundee United and my time there. They were amazing. My family would take the trip up every weekend and they would always look after them. They were such nice people around the club and I’m pretty sure it’s still the same people that work there as well from my time being up there with Celtic since. So I have nothing but kind words to say and my time there developed me as a player and as a person. So nothing but respect for that and I’m looking forward to the game.”

Q: What kind of challenge is the prospect of coming off the high of a Cup final into a league game?

Anthony Ralston: “I think that’s the importance of being at a club like this. I was saying previously it’s not about dwelling on your success because you’ve got no time to do that because the next challenge is around the corner and that’s the most important one. So it’s important that we show the attitude and we show the mindset that we’re very much committed to the next game, which is Dundee United. The past success is very much behind us now and we’re fully focused on that.”

Watch Anthony Ralston’s Media Conference below…