The FIVE factors that will win Celtic the Scottish Cup

James Forrest is back in the Scotland squad. How pleased are you with him getting back into the team at such at exciting time of the season?

Fully deserved, in my eyes. Probably everyone else’s as well. His form of late has been unbelievable. The one thing about James is that he's got huge experience. He’s there and he’ll be doing everything that he can to try and help by the time we get to the tournament. Fantastic for him to be back involved and fully deserved. I’m delighted for him personally as well.

As a captain, you wouldn’t question a manager’s selection, but was it difficult for you at times earlier on in the season when he wasn’t getting in the team or in squads. I know James found it a bit tough at the start of the season.

There are always difficult selections for managers to make and I think the one thing about James is that he’s always been super professional and respectful. He’s hugely experienced and he carries himself in such a great way. Of course, he’ll be disappointed at times when he maybe wasn’t involved but he kept his head down and kept working and that’s a huge credit to him because when he's come back into the team he’s probably a big reason why we managed to get over the line. That’s a testament to how he’s looked after himself and his professionalism and experience.

You’re in the Scotland squad as well. Congratulations. How well prepared do you feel for the summer with the work you’ve put in and where you were previously?

I feel good. I’m starting to get to the place where I’m feeling a lot better. My fitness levels are returning to the way they were before the injury, so I’m in a good place. I’m ready to go, so the season is probably finishing at the wrong time! Of course, after Saturday we’ve got a really exciting summer and I’m looking forward to it as well. 

Just in terms of this game, how are you looking forward to it and was there a point in this season where it felt like the double might be far away, given the negativity that maybe surrounded the outside rather than the inside?

That’s it, it’s external. There was quite a lot of it. To be honest, just with the nature of the season and how it goes, if you don’t pick up the first trophy then all of the work goes unnoticed until the last 10 days of the season. Maybe externally everybody’s thinking it’s not been too bad! You have got to battle and leagues are won over 10/11 months with hard work and graft and resilience. We’ve put ourselves in a good position and now we go into the game at the weekend full of confidence. We understand that challenge as it will be a massive game. Both teams are really good teams. We understand where we are and we have to give everything to the game. In cup finals, you need a bit of luck and things to go your way on the day. We’ve got a good chances and we’ll turn up full of confidence off the back of securing the league. We've always been confident and the last sort of 10 days have put us in a nice place and hopefully, we can finish with a double this weekend.

The manager said at the weekend that he had been shown a collage of the negativity that had stemmed back to August. Has that been a driving factor for the players this season, to prove any doubters wrong. 

To be honest, that was the first time I had seen it, and there was about six or seven articles. I don’t pay any attention to it at all. As I said, externally there was a lot of noise but I think that’s the first time the players had seen it. It just tells you about the mindset in the group and resilience is a keyword when you win leagues. You love got to stay together and trust each other and that’s what we did. I think we’ve deserved it. We arrive into the game at the weekend full of confidence and we know what we have to do to be successful.

Every player has their own motivations and drives. Are those moments what drive you personally? 

When you start the season, the way that I’ve been brought up and the way that my football career has panned out, I’ve tried to maximise every opportunity that I’ve got and at the start of the season I want to try and win everything that we’re in. When you lose one, it hurts and that stays with you. throughout my career, I’ve tried to limit the amount of times that I’ve felt like that. Come Saturday, I’m going to try and limit the amount of times I feel like that again! That’s where I am, and what I’ll be trying to get across to the players, is that come Saturday afternoon we want to be the ones standing with the trophy. 

There haven’t been too many moments like that, have there?

I’ve been very lucky and very fortunate. There’s been some hard work and dedication and you’ve got to go and do it and be successful. I’m really thankful for that. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved  but I think the nature of being at Celtic is about the next trophy that’s on offer, and you’re under pressure. That’s the way I work and the way I try and get the players to as well, to understand that the club demands success. Saturday is another opportunity to try and make a lot of people happy.

That winning mentality, does it just feed off itself? Is it easy with this group?

I think so. We’ve had good success, and the guys that have joined us have had that success in getting over the line at Kilmarnock and trophy day at the weekend. That brings the group tighter together and they get to feel what it feels like to be a successful Celtic player. Hopefully that can carry us into the weekend. Make no mistake, we know how difficult that is going to be, and you’ve got to do a lot to get over the line at the end of the day. Hopefully we’re in as good a place as we can be and it’s down to us to come here and deliver. 

There can't be a better way of finishing the season than defending your cup against your rivals with a double on the line - can there be?

It is a great occasion. It is a great showpiece for Scottish football. It is brilliant to be involved in as a player. This is what you want to do. This is why you play football. If this doesn't get you excited then you are probably in the wrong sport.

Rangers haven't beaten you this season. How much confidence can you take from that?

You take a small degree of comfort in that. We know what cup finals and the derbies are like. If you don't turn up on the day it makes it really difficult to get a result. We understand what we have to give to the game. We have played each other four times now. Both teams will know each other reasonably well. It comes down to Saturday and what are the players prepared to give and it is all about who turns up and plays well on the day and gets that bit of luck to drive them over the line. We have got to try and drive all those factors in our favour and finish with a win.

You spoke about delivering the title to the fans last Wednesday. What would it mean to you to deliver the 'double'?

At this club, you are judged on success. You are judged on how many trophies you win. The next one that is on offer, you are judged on that one as well. That is where we are. That is where we live as Celtic players in the pressure moments in the pressure cooker. We have to enjoy that. That has to become the normal for the players. We are always trying to stress that to them when they arrive in the big moments, they have to be calm as this is what is expected of you as a Celtic player. Having said all that you still have to turn up and perform and hopefully, we can do that at the weekend.

This is the first derby of the season where there will be a 50/50 fan split. Is that an atmosphere you relish?

I think it will be great. I think it will be a really good spectacle. I think everybody is desperate to get the supporters back into each stadium as it adds to the spectacle and the game. It will be great. It is a big showpiece game for the country and I am really looking forward to it.

The manager said hopefully the players can bring their 'A' game to Hampden. What are the 'A' game qualities that he brings to occasions like this?

Everyone knows he is ultra-experienced. He is a top, top-level manager. He is really calm under pressure. That is what he tries to relay to the group every time we go on the pitch. We have a process, we trust in that, we trust in him, and he trusts the players. When you get to the pressure moments it is about staying calm and relying on that even more to get you through the big moments. He's a top manager. I am sure he will be ready for the game. Come Saturday he will have the players ready as well.

Is it quite incredible to think that of all the derby games you have played none of them has been a Scottish Cup final?

I was thinking about it the other day. It has been 22 years since the last Scottish Cup final. It is a bit of an anomaly. It will be a good occasion with the trophy on the line. I am sure everybody will enjoy it.

It is the 150th anniversary of the SFA. Do you feel that heritage and do you look back at former Celtic captains who have lifted the famous trophy? Do you use it to inspire yourself and your teammates?

I try not to get dragged into anything other than the game. We have enough to worry about in terms of preparation and trying to prepare the players as well as the game plan and everything else. Hopefully, we can come out on the right end of that and afterwards, we will have a look at where we are in that aspect. Between now and then for the players, it is very much about focusing on yourself, focusing on the group and being a team player. When you get here on Saturday, you give your absolute maximum to get it over the line.

Is there a unique motivation as it is Joe Hart's last game?

Again we understand that is there in the background. We want to send him away in a positive light with a double which would be brilliant for him to finish his career. Between now and then we just focus on the game, ourselves and the team which is the most important thing.  If we do all of that and have a successful day then Joe will get his happy ending. For me and the players, we are just concentrating for the next 48 hours on the game.

Do you have any pre-match routines before the cup finals?

I don't have any routines so much. I think psychologically you get yourself into a place where you know in semi-finals and finals it is all on the line and you don't get second chances. You just have to prepare yourself to try and go to the limit and get it over the line. The players will get themselves into that space and we know we will not get a second chance at this. You have to give it all this Saturday.

When did you last lose a cup final? How far do we have to go back?

I just don't want you to jinx me! A lot has been made of that in previous years. When I get to these occasions I just try and focus on the game and what I need to do to be successful. I will also focus on the team and that is what will drag us over the line. Selflessness, the team ethic, the team working for each other and running and doing all the nasty bits of the game that will hopefully take us over the line. Hopefully, come Saturday we will have another positive experience to look back on.