Dedryck Boyata

Class yesterday, as per usual. To think we used to debate who was worse between him and Efe

 

"if gordon saves shots,and boyata wins tackles against there strikers,and we keep passing the ball to griffiths.We should walk this.

Hun logic.

 

BR on Boyata: "Top-class player and it’s great for him to come back to Brussels, hopefully a good performance."

 

Delighted for the big man to be fully fit for his return to his homeland. Wouldn't be the worst bet for first goal scorer.

 

DB: "I have lots of family and friends coming here tomorrow. It’s a very important game for all the team and players.

DB: "We know it’s not going to be easy tomorrow but of course we want to win the game."

DB: "There are no easy opponents in the #UCL. Tomorrow is a very important game for both teams."

DB: "Staying in Europe after Christmas is definitely a goal that we have."

DB: "I come from Belgium and I know how big Anderlecht are. We seen that last season in the @EuropaLeague as well."

DB: "The players know how hard the game is going to be."


CELTIC'S second fixture in Group B of the UEFA Champions League sees the Hoops take on Anderlecht in the Belgian capital. And for Dedryck Boyata, it will see him return to the city of his birth on what is sure to be an emotional night for him and his family.

The 26-year-old defender has returned to action following an injury picked up in pre-season, and having helped the Hoops win the Glasgow derby at the weekend, he's now got his sights set on securing the team's first Champions League points of this campaign.

Speaking to this week's Celtic View ahead of the game, Boyata said: “I was born in Brussels and all my family are still there so I have a lot of tickets for the game to give to them. The game is very important. All games are but this one is very special to me and the people around me as well. They all want to come to the game.

“Growing up in Brussels I played for three different * teams and then I joined a team called FC Brussels before Manchester City signed me.

“I started playing football seriously when I was 12 and in Belgium there is a very good academy football league, so playing in that really helped me improve as a player. The Anderlecht Academy is very good and there are a lot of good players who have come out of their youth academy.

“Things were very different for me when I was in Brussels. My training ran two or three times a week and when I came home from school, if I had too much homework, I could not train.

“My education was always important to me growing up and my parents made me see that. I would go to school from 7am until 4pm and then I would train in the evening. At that age I didn’t know what I was going to do when I grew up.

"It was only after I went to a tournament in Northern Ireland that I found out some scouts were interested in me and that I could maybe have a career in football. Before that I didn’t know what I would do when I was older.”

And the Belgian internationalist is hoping that his homecoming will also see him play in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League for the first time, having missed out last season.

“I’ve been in the group stages of the competition before with Manchester City as well, but I’ve never had the chance to play because I was on the bench for those games," he said.

“Experience-wise, as a professional footballer you want to be playing in the best competition in the world and we all know how much experience the Champions League offers a player.

"For me, it will be a great achievement if I manage to play in that tournament, especially with the teams we have in that group. It’s a good experience to be there and learn a lot. At the same time, though, we want to show people what we can do in the competition.”

 

https://streamable.com/w9uof

 

The big man could play his way into the Belgian squad with a big performance tonight.

 

"When you look at the games against Anderlecht, are those the games that you think will give you the best chance of having European competition after Christmas" great question

 

BT interview
https://mobile.twitter.com/CelticGoals/status/913107991037190148/video/1

 

https://mobile.twitter.com/CelticGoals/status/913115701166080001/video/1

 

Been * fantastic. Won everything in the air. Starting our moves. Passing excellent and even some showboating..

 

More confidence in him than Simunovic, at the moment.

 

Love Jozo but he has looked slightly sloppy of late..

Good partnership in the making..

 

Man of the match, ahead of Griffiths. Boy has been an absolute rock.

 

That turn on the ball was absolutely wankworthy!

Big man was colossal tonight, Dedryk Beckenbauer

 

What a performance big man.

Solid as a rock!!

My MOTM.

 

Didn't put a single foot, not a single foot wrong..

Beast performance with a bit of everything. Probably his best..

Martinez must be salivating over that Boyata..

 

Couldnt watch the full game but I think this was one his best, maybe the best, performance in a Celtic jersey from him till now.

 

What a difference a year makes eh big man has put in the graft and it’s paying off