Greg, it's a sizeable donation at a very important time I would imagine?

Yes. It is a really good gesture from the club as it goes to help the most vulnerable at this time of the year - kids - who sometimes might wake up on Christmas morning with nothing. It is a very nice gesture.

How have you found your return - how has it been for you?

Yeah, good to be fair. Sunday went well and my shoulder felt good and it was a good team performance so it was good to be back out there.

There has been a lot of talk about reinforcements coming in especially in your area. Is that something you relish that sort of competition for places and does that make you a better player if there is?

We would be as well as copy and pasting this at every presser I do. There is always going to be competition in every place because of the size of this club it is normal. Every player looks to relish it. Hopefully, it makes the squad stronger.

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The manager has spoken very highly of you since he's joined. How much confidence does that give you does it give that added boost and desire to get back into the team once you were fit?

Definitely, the manager has been first class since he came in especially for me as it has been a new way of learning to play and one I have really enjoyed. Being on the sidelines there is nothing worse but the boys have enjoyed a good run since I have been out injured and it was nice to continue that when I joined again on Sunday.

You also committed your long-term future to the club recently and you are just getting back into the mix now but how much is Celtic starting to feel like home for you?

Yeah, I have been here for two-and-a-half years now and I love it here. I love playing for the club. It is a massive club and there is pressure every week but it is one I enjoy. I was desperate to be back out there and for the eleven weeks that I was out, it was tough to watch.

There is always going to be players coming in and out, when it gets to this stage of the season and the transfer window is coming up do you as players pay attention to the speculation going around and do you get excited by certain names being linked with the club?

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No, because we have that many games. There is no time to check what has been said and I know we will be linked with a number of players, some will be true, some will be false, it is part and parcel of the game but we do look forward to having extra reinforcements but we have a strong squad as it is and there are a lot of boys pushing to play as there is already in the building so if we are adding to that then there is going to be even more competition and hopefully that can help improve us.

Does that competition keep everyone at the top level and raising their game all the time?

Yeah, exactly it does. It drives the standards through the roof. Even if it is at training the manager is a big believer in that even for the boys that aren't playing the training has to be right on it as that does keep the levels high for the game at the weekend for the eleven who get picked for it.

The manager was saying that despite the fact there is nothing to play for in the group that no game is a dead rubber for Celtic and that it is still a big opportunity for the players to do something memorable, do you think this is a good chance especially for guys who haven't had much game time like yourself through injury to play against high-quality opposition?

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First of all, the gaffer will pick the eleven for Thursday night and then we will see who is playing. I think he is spot-on as it would be disrespectful to the competition and to the club to label any game when you are playing for Celtic as a dead rubber. It is an opportunity to impress the manager and to put on a performance for the fans so it is certainly not that.

Is it the type of game when you have been out for so long that you will be raring to go and desperate to be one of the eleven on the pitch?

Every game you want to play. Sunday was no different. I was pushing for a return as quick as possible and Sunday was good for me. Whether I play Sunday/Thursday or Wednesday or whenever the game is you look forward to doing it.

Those eleven weeks you missed is a tough time for a player but is there any chance that you can use that time to study what the new manager wants specifically with the full-back role as it is a very specialised position the inverted full-back role and did you use that time to study the games, watch the games and learn from them?

Yeah, when you are watching the games you naturally look at your position a wee bit more. You have touched upon it is a new way of playing but it is a new way of playing for everyone. It is not just the full-back being inside because if you watch the games in-depth we are not always just inside it's at the right times. Yeah, you do try and learn when you are out injured definitely. I wouldn't say it is just about full-backs being inside as there is a lot more to it.

You missed a few Scotland squads and missed out on a few caps in those eleven weeks out, how desperate are you to be back involved with Scotland especially with the playoffs coming up in March?

Yeah, exactly the boys for Scotland in the last few months have been top drawer the same as they have for Celtic. My main focus right now has to be for Celtic and getting back playing here regularly and then hopefully come March when the play-off games come around I can be involved.

Has the time you have had out got you to reflect on the wider changes at the club the kind of a size of the job that the manager's got and what he has bee trying to do since he came in as loads of players were signed and it is a different way of playing. How do you see how things are going as there is a cup final coming and you are in contention at the top of the league and it has been quite a transformation - how do you assess that?

I wouldn't say as a player that is our focus. We are here to train and play and that's pretty much what the gaffer leaves it down to us to do. The rest of the stiff outside will take care of itself and the focus on us for me was certainly to get back fit and then train and play. For the rest of the boys who have been playing it is just train, recover, play and that is where I try to keep my focus.

A decent time to be coming back with all these games in Europe, league games and cup finals - it is quite a period, isn't it?

It is a hectic schedule and we have eight games until the winter break so there will be plenty of opportunities for everyone and it is all about taking those opportunities when you get them.

You will be in Europe after Christmas is the game on Thursday an opportunity to show the progress you are making as you have gone head-to-head with some big teams and attacked them and there have been some exciting games. Is this a good chance to do that and keep the progression going?

The gaffer stresses when you get the chance to play it is an opportunity and it is about taking that and Thursday is no different and the competition is at the elite level and we need to try and be right at it but it is about focusing on us and continue to try and play the football that we do.