On-loan Tottenham defender Cameron Carter-Vickers has admitted the pressure that comes with playing for Celtic has helped him mature as a player and opened up on his desire to get back into the United States squad.
Carter-Vickers has earned rave reviews for his solid displays at Celtic since his season-long loan move from Tottenham.
The 23-year-old has become a mainstay in Ange Postecoglou’s backline and the Celtic boss has expressed his intention to keep the centre-back at the club beyond the end of this season (The Herald).
According to reports, the Scottish giants have the option to sign the centre-back for £6m at the end of his loan spell (Glasgow World), with some sources even claiming that the club have already opened talks with Spurs over a permanent deal (Sky Sports).
Carter-Vickers has had a series of loan spells in the Championship over the last few years but admitted that the pressure of having to win every game at Parkhead is not something he has experienced before.
The Tottenham academy graduate told Celtic’s matchday programme: “Coming to Celtic, the biggest thing I’ve found is that every game is a must-win. If we want to achieve what we want, we more or less have to win every game and the pressure is there.’
“If I compare it to the Championship where I’ve spent most of my time, you have to be consistent to achieve things but nowhere near as consistent as you do up here. The margin for error is very low and that’s something I’ve had to adjust to and realise.
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“Now I’ve been here for a while, you get used to that and what’s good is that we have players in the team that have been here for a long time.
“Guys like Callum McGregor and Nir Bitton communicate that pressure to you when you come in, but it’s another thing to realise it and come under that pressure.
“This squad is so close, from the players to the staff, which helps relive that because you share the weight of the pressure together and it helps us in our goals.”
Carter-Vickers has been capped 8 times for the United States but has not featured for his country since 2019 (Transfermarkt).
He admitted that getting back into the American squad is an objective but insisted that he is focused on doing well for Celtic first.
The on-loan Spurs man said regarding his international aspirations: “My dad is from the States and growing up I would go and visit regularly, so I have a real connection with the country.
“I would love to be back in the national team but all I can do is focus on playing here and hopefully that will come. It’s a cliche, but I only look game-to-game. I would be lying if I said the end goal is not at the back of your mind, but I just need to focus every day.”
Spurs Web Opinion
With all due respect to the Scottish league and the historic institutions that Rangers and Celtic are, the reality is that the standard of several sides in the division is arguably on par with some League Two sides.
So, if Carter-Vickers wishes to be called up for the United States squad, I am not sure doing well for Celtic is going to be enough to get him there. He might be better off moving to a Championship club or to the MLS.
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