“The best team I’ve played in,” Nicolas Kuhn on playing for Celtic

The Celtic Star

·6 gennaio 2025

“The best team I’ve played in,” Nicolas Kuhn on playing for Celtic

Celtic’s man of the moment and well on his way to being our player of the year is of course our talented German winger Nicolas Kuhn…

A double yesterday against St Mirren increased Kuhn’s total for the season to 16 goals scored and 13 assists as Celtic are reportedly set to offer the winger a new and improved contract amid growing interest in Kuhn. He could turn out to be the next big money departure from Celtic but hopefully not for a few more seasons.

While much of the attention has been focused on Brendan Rodgers’ somewhat explosive post match media conference, Nicolas Kuhn also spoke to the media. Here’s what happened…

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Nicolas Kuhn and Alex Gogic compete for the ball during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and St. Mirren at Celtic Park on January 05, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: Nicolas, how’s the nose and the eyes? Didn’t seem to affect you today?

Nicolas Kuhn: “Yeah, still a little bit dizzy, but yeah, it’s going to be fine.”

Q: What did you make of your performance and the team’s performance out there?

Nicolas Kuhn: “I think we had a strong reaction after the last game, and that’s what we did, and I’m happy that we got the three points.”

Q: Two more goals for you. Just talk to us about your form at the moment…

Nicolas Kuhn: “The last game was not too good, but I’m glad that I keep going where I finished last year.”

Q: Do you feel that you and the team had to, not prove a point, but put something right after the performance at Ibrox a few days ago?

Nicolas Kuhn: “Yeah, 100 per cent, and I think we did that today, and now we will focus on the next game.”

Nicolas Kuhn celebrates with teammate Arne Engels after scoring his team’s third goal during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and St. Mirren at Celtic Park on January 05, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: How important was that to make sure you’re back to winning ways straight away after such a strange game the other day?

Nicolas Kuhn: “Really important. I think we were not used to losing, and no, we did much better.We scored some goals, and yeah, happy with the three points.”

Q: What was the feeling afterwards? Were you maybe confused where that came from? Because your form as a team has been so high for so long. It was such a kind of strange, bad day at the office, wasn’t it?

Nicolas Kuhn: “Yeah, 100 per cent. It was not enough from everyone, and yeah, we had to show a reaction.”

Q: Is that a good reminder for yourselves, that you have to keep your level at the highest, or you will trip up sometimes?

Nicolas Kuhn: “Yes, we always have to be 100 per cent, and that was a lesson for us against Dortmund, and I’m glad that we showed a reaction.”

Nicolas Kühn and Alistair Johnston during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and St. Mirren at Celtic Park on January 05, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: The response was so good after Dortmund. Was that obviously what you were aiming for again? Did you speak about how you responded to that result this week?

Nicolas Kuhn: “Yeah, I think that was just not us, and today we did much better, and we want to keep going in the next games.

Q: Did the nose issue come from theRangers game?

Nicolas Kuhn: “Yes.”

Q: Some people thought that could have been more than a yellow card?

Nicolas Kuhn: “Yeah, I’m not the VAR, but yeah.”

Q: There was also a kick. There was a kick on you, and then you got an elbow?

Nicolas Kuhn: “Yeah, there was also a kick, but yeah, as we said, it was not our best game. The situation, I don’t decide, and we have to keep going.”

Nicolas Kühn of Celtic was injured during the Scottish Premiership match at Ibrox on 2nd January 2025. Photo Neil Hanna Sportimage

Q: Were you surprised that the referee did not take more action?

Nicolas Kuhn: “Actually, I didn’t realise what happened, so afterwards I didn’t know if it was yellow or anything else, so that’s not the most important. The most important was that we showed a reaction today, and now we focus on the next game.”

Q: You have the good old-fashioned black eyes? Did you wake up with your eyes closed?

Nicolas Kuhn: “Yeah, it’s a little bit painful, but we’ll be fine.”

Q: That’s what I’m saying, but did the result maybe hurt more than the nose?

Nicolas Kuhn: “Yeah, it was more painful.”

Q: Have you had a better season than this when you played first-team football for a club?

Nicolas Kuhn: “No, I think that’s the best, but it’s also the best team I’ve played in yet. All the teammates, the staff make it a lot easier for me, and I’m just happy to be here.”

Nicolas Kühn arrives prior to the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and St. Mirren at Celtic Park on January 05, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: What can you achieve this season, Nicolas? Obviously, you know what the team can achieve, but you personally, I think, is it 16 goals you’re on now? So what can you get to, what number can you hit?

Nicolas Kuhn: “I’m not so focused on the numbers, we just have to perform well, and that’s what I try to do. For me, the most important is to stay fit, that’s what I always said, and at the end, it’s about winning trophies, and I’m not so focused on the numbers.”

Q: Why do you feel that your confidence has kicked in here? What’s changed for you this season?

Nicolas Kuhn: “I think it’s just the surroundings. I feel really good, I’m happy to be here, and as I said, everyone makes it easy for me, and I’m just enjoying to play.

Q: You say you’re happy to be here, can you see yourself here for many more years to come?

Nicolas Kuhn: “Yeah, I have a long contract.”

Q: Did you know the result from theRangers game this afternoon before today for the kick-off?

Nicolas Kuhn: “No, we heard afterwards, but we have to focus on our game, and for us, it was the most important to get the three points, and now we have already a game in three days.”

Nicolas Kuhn celebrates with teammate Adam Idah after scoring his team’s first goal during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and St. Mirren at Celtic Park on January 05, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: Is there a determination to make sure that what happened at Ibrox will not happen again between now and the end of the season?

Nicolas Kuhn: “We don’t want that to happen again, so we just have to keep working and be 100 per cent in every game. It doesn’t matter if it’s (the)Rangers or anyone else.”

Q: The gap advantage at the top is now wider than it was before Christmas, you have a 13-point lead…

Nicolas Kuhn: “Yeah, we just keep going and we just have to win our games, and as long as we do that, everything’s good.”