Everything that Celtic new signing Luke McCowan said to the broadcast media

Can you sum up your first week and a bit at the club and how this period has gone for you?

It's probably a bit hectic as you can imagine. It's been really smooth even though it has been hectic. The boys and the staff at the club have been unbelievable to me so far. It's been something that I dreamt of as a wee boy coming here and getting the chance to play for this club and it is everything that I could have imagined so far. There is a lot of hard work but the past week and a bit has been good. It's all gone smoothly as I said.

How was your debut against Rangers? Can you put that into words? You were not only a new signing but you were thrown in at the deep end.

There was a lot of trust from the manager which was the main thing. After the game, I thanked him for that and for putting that trust in me. It was incredible as you can imagine. Coming on to noise like that is amazing. It was just another game and I knew I had to go on and be concentrated and try and make as little mistakes as possible. I had about four hours of sleep which wasn't the best! You know your job and when you are in that environment you have to put your serious mode on. You cannot think you are a fan and be on cloud nine as this is where the serious work starts. That's the mindset at this club.

What is your personal goal here, now that you have signed?

I think early doors, I want to play as many minutes as I can. You know the standard here is the best in the country. It is a Champions League team and I am not used to that kind of format. I'm used to the Premier Sports Cup at the start of the season. I just know it will take a lot of hard work to get on the team. It will be hard work to push players for their places. That's evidently what I want to do in the future. It's all about learning right now, finding my feet and doing the usual stuff when you go to a new team. That will be the mindset.

What were the discussions with the manager after you signed? What does he want from you? What does he envisage for you in the short and long term?

There were no conversations about long-term stuff. It was just about how you can affect things just now. I think that's the main thing. Staying in the present when you approach anything about the game. He was dead calm when he spoke to me. He said certain areas of my game need work. Coming here it is a different style of football. As you can imagine with any new player going to a new club it is about bedding yourself in. The main thing is to stay myself, stay as loud as you can because I've always been loud. Just be yourself and be a bit of a sponge and learn from all of these great players and top professionals that you are playing alongside like Callum McGregor and James Forrest who have been here for so long. All I can do is learn from them and push forward and that was the manager's message as well. It has been nothing but helpful.

You said this was something you have always dreamt of as a young boy. Did you still think it would happen three years ago when you were at Ayr United?

Not to that extent, probably not. My best trait is trying to stay in the present and not thinking too far ahead or thinking about things in the past. When I was at Ayr United my main goal was to get goals and numbers there and go from there. My ambition was to play here one day but I never thought to myself: 'I'll get there, I'll get there', I always just believed that if I kept doing what I was doing then I'd progress up the ladder. I found myself here now.

In terms of your level, you've progressed at Dundee in the last season, do you feel that playing here with a club that is used to winning games and winning trophies, do you feel that you can go up a gear again?

I think so. When you come to a club and a team like this who have been so effective in the last few years then you add to that. That will come through help from my teammates. That will come through help from the manager, the coaches and all the staff. They want to improve me as much as I want to improve myself. Listen, I know there is plenty of hard work to be done and plenty of improvements in my game needed and I welcome them with open arms. I just need to be a bit of a sponge in that sense.

How important is it for you to become a starting player?

Read more:

It's about winning games. It is hard to get yourself into the team. I want as many minutes as I can get. That is the main goal. I just need to keep pushing for a place in the team, keep training well every day, keep being as professional as ever and take it from there, That's the message.

European football is over a week away. How does it feel that you could be in the Champions League?

That's a bit surreal. I think this year there will be a lot of first-time things happening at the club for me. I made my debut and if I get a chance to play in a Champions League game then that will be another big milestone in my career. Once you are in the door you can feel happy about that but it's about wanting to push on and start the next game. Can I be standing in the lineup? Can I help the team win games in those kinds of matches? That's the goal for me.

You are arriving at a good age with lots of experience. Do you think there is still time to grow and develop at Celtic?

Yes, I think so. I am a bit of a late bloomer if you want to call it that. I played until I was 21/22 and to know that I still have some fresh legs in me, I still feel as young as ever. I have got a lot of experience from a league point of view. Can I help anyone in the team going to Ross County away? Some boys in the team might not be used to that and I can help them with how the atmosphere is going to be and how the stadium will be. I can help them with that. I'll be leaning on every single one of them and their experience of playing with a big club like this.

The Scotland squad needs a refresh after the Euros. Is that a level that you would feel comfortable playing at?

If it comes along so be it. My main focus is playing here. That's the main objective. If it happens I'd be thrilled. Then again the Scotland midfield is very strong. You've got guys playing for Napoli and there is an amazing bunch of boys there but I'd welcome it with open arms if it came along.

Are you keen to establish yourself here and how confident are you that you can do that?

It is about taking my time and knowing that I have that on my side. There are so many boys there that are helping me to push on and help me challenge for places. Even just speaking to some of my teammates they know it takes a bit of time to change the style of football that you are used to. I need to work hard, get my head down and go from there. There is nothing special about that. It is about biding your time and if you get the chance to start then hopefully, you can keep your place.

What sort of Celtic team did you watch as a kid? Who were your favourite players growing up?

The DVD of 2003/04. The Celtic team with Larsson (Henrik), Sutton (Chriss), Hartson (John) Petrov (Stiliyan) and Thompson (Alan). I still take my penalties like Thompson! I idolised that guy. That was the team growing up that my family had a massive influence on me being a Celtic fan. Those were the boys I cheered on.

How were the family after you signed for Celtic?

They didn't stop talking or asking questions. They have been nothing but helpful. It is a massive learning curve for them. There is a bigger media spotlight. You are more on the front line with that aspect. You can't just pull up outside McDonald's and get away with it. You get spotted by wee guys and you have to show you are a true professional by saying I'm only buying a fruit bag! It is stuff like that we are all getting used to. I have had autograph hunters come to my mum and dad's door already. That is nice but at some point, I will have to tell them to stay out of the garden! It's a learning curve for them but they are absolutely delighted for me.

How has it been to train and play with Callum McGregor and how helpful has he been?

Callum is the captain but there are so many captains in that dressing room who don't wear the armband. All the boys have been amazing. There is the Scottish link there too and he (Callum) has been brilliant. The coaches do the same too. They have given me a load of advice and everybody just chips in. To be able to watch Callum in training and to see his standards every day is amazing. As well as he shows up on a Saturday, he shows up on a Monday morning too and he does well. It's been immense. He is the guy I want to learn from. He is the image and role model to look up to.

How did the speculation affect you?

I worked a lot on that side of the game, especially with playing well as you are always going to get a lot of speculation. Most of it was out of my control. It was bids that were getting rejected. I couldn't have cared less about what was happening. I just wanted to play football. I was focused on Dundee. When a team this size comes calling your head can scramble a wee bit and I was hoping that something like this would happen. It was fine until 9:30 pm on deadline night and I couldn't sleep or whatever. As you saw from the games that I played it didn't really affect me. I will use that experience to go on.