Erik Sviatchenko

He's magic you know

 

As an actual defender, out and out, he's better than VVD, but VVD had more bows to his string which makes him the better out there, but for me this guy has been an excellent acquisition, great reader of the game.

 

The guy is class,nerves of steel him and kolo will be solid

 

The big man made a huge difference after coming on tonight.

 

erik svitchenko is a class defender.but youd imagine hes only going to get better learning next to big toure.

 

Don't think he will be in any rush to leave either with his missus playing for the women's team.

 

Love the guy. He was great when he came on, and has to start every game with Toure when they are both fit.

 

He was his equal tonight

 

Zombie Nation

 

I agree with this and would like to see it as well, or Lustig, Kolo and Erik.

Problem is though if he does go with 3 at the back where does he put Tierney?

Unless he puts Sinclair up front and plays Tierney as the LWB.

 

Just had a flashback to his tackle when he came on the other night. Superb. Think I love him.

 

Won every header yesterday, guy is a beast. Deserves as much praise as Toure for his performance yesterday, they are a great pairing.

 

Erik Sviatchenko!

 

I am a big fan. It was great to see him back in the lineup Saturday.

 

This guys definatly my favourite Celtic player the now. Love big Eric!

 

ERIK Sviatchenko’s season had barely started before it was cut short with injury but the Celtic defender is back in action for the Bhoys and loving the fact he can now call himself a Champions League player.
The Danish centre-half was forced out of the side for more than a month after sustaining a grade one strain in his adductor just after the Bhoys had progressed into the third round of qualifiers for the UEFA Champions League but returned for the Celts last week in the second-leg of the crunch play-off clash with Hapoel Be’er Sheva.
Sviatchenko was ushered into play with 30 minutes left on the clock and with the Hoops clinging on to a narrow one-goal aggregate advantage, he helped his side get over the line by securing Celtic’s five-man defence in partnership with Kolo Toure and Mikael Lustig.
The 24-year-old continued his comeback with a solid game against Aberdeen in the Bhoys’ 4-1 win at the weekend and he told this week’s Celtic View that he is delighted to be back in the frame and has no plans to lose his place again.

How does it feel to be back from injury?


The injury had really inconvenient timing to say the least. I had a really good pre-season and was feeling great shape-wise, mentally as well, as I was really getting all the new tactics under the skin with the new manager coming in ahead of Slovenia. I played the two games against Lincoln and we went through and then just before the Leicester game I felt a pull and I was out for three-and-a-half weeks. I returned to training but because there have been so many games there hasn’t been a spell of even a week of just training, that’s why it has taken a bit longer to return to the team. But, again, when you’re in the Champions League as we are, it’s always about competing against the best players so I respect there are some other players playing while I was out but now I’ll do everything to regain my position.


Does qualifying for the UEFA Champions Leaguebring with it a sense of achievement ?
For sure. The Champions League group stages will always be attractive for players but not only that, because of how we are playing at this moment and how we are as a team, the players that we have now are a really good group of players. So that will also be an argument for attracting new players as this is a strong team and a place where you can play good football. Hopefully this season we will dominate even more. It’s not enough only to be good – we have to be extraordinary. No one wants to be ordinary so it’s about seeing through the next day, what can we achieve, what can we do better? It’s not good enough just to win. We have to win with a good result as well and that’s what we always try to do now.


What do you make of Celtic’s group in the Champions League?
Barcelona – there must be some kind of magical connection as Celtic always get them. That’s fine for us that we have them again. Personally I would maybe have preferred another team but again, who doesn’t want to play against Barcelona? Manchester City is a tough draw as well and Borussia Monchengladbach have some of my international team-mates in Jannik Vestergaard and Andreas Christensen so that’ll be interesting as well. I know them from youth level, especially Jannik as we played against each other as youth players. Andreas moved to Chelsea earlier and he’s much younger than I am but we’ve been in the national team together several times and they are both really good guys and really good players as well so they are also my competitors at the national level for centre-half so if we can beat them it’ll be good for me.


Will you be able to use your previous European experience?
I think it will do me well. I played all the games last year as captain in the Europa League as well so for me to be the guy leading the team in Midtjylland’s biggest games in their history at that point was great. It’ll be in my favour that I have experienced those tense moments like in games against Napoli, even though Midtjylland didn’t do too well, because to play against top strikers and perform well individually gives you calmness and confidence.


Will you be able to use your previous European experience?

It’s always about measuring yourself against those great strikers so that’s important for me – to have that feeling of being ready for it. I’ll do everything in my power to stand in the way of them scoring but it’s also a team sport so we as a collective have to perform at our very best before we can shine as individuals.


How much of a factor can Celtic Park be?
I think it can be decisive. It will be our 12th man. I know it’s always a bit of a cliché but it’s so important that the fans will be howling against the opponents but cheering for us and helping us through that. These will be tough games at this stage and we need to perform but there can be some games where the opponents are just at a higher level but we’ll do everything we can to prevent them from playing their best and that’s where the fans come in. They need to be with us, together in this, and they have been since we started this new campaign.

 

Panicked a bit when I saw this thread bumped

 

.@eriksviat speaking to @CelticTV on international week: 'Firstly, a bit more space in the dressing room!'


Celtic Football Club

ES: "We are preparing for some great games but at this stage we are having some nice sessions and having a good laugh as well."


ES: "I'm really happy that I'm over my groin injury, even though it came at an unpleasant time. Back and fully fit.



ES on partnership with Kolo Toure: "I have found it really good & it will only get better once Kolo & I get some more games together.


ES: "He (Kolo) is an inspiration, especially when a guy who is 35 yet he still does everything. What he has achieved is massive.


ES on upcoming fixtures: "Great to have big games. At a club where you want to play these types of games, looking forward to them.

 

ERIK Sviatchenko says fellow central defender Kolo Toure is an inspirational team-mate in how he conducts himself on and off the park.
The Danish internationalist started his first match alongside Toure in Saturday’s 4-1 win over Aberdeen, a result which propelled Celtic to the top of the table.
And Sviatchenko reckons their partnership will flourish the more time they play together, particularly since they are both strong communicators.
Speaking exclusively to Celtic TV when it was announced that Utilita is the club's new energy partner, he said: “I have found it really good. It will only get better once Kolo and I get some more games together, but the game against Aberdeen went really well. They didn’t create many chances and the goal they scored was out of nowhere so I’m pleased with that.
“Kolo is an inspiration, especially as he is 35-years-old and yet is still doing everything. He still up in the gym doing his prehab and I see him a lot up there, which is good, as he’s also a guy you can look towards and what he has achieved is massive. It’s nice to be a partner with him.
“Something I have in my game is being able to communicate, and as the gaffer says, you’re not defending if you’re not communicating, so we need to communicate and always be on the front foot, thinking a step before something happens, and that’s what Kolo does well and I like do that, too.”
The win over the Pittodrie side was Sviatchenko’s first start in over a month after he had been sidelined by a groin injury.
And he’s been working hard at Lennoxtown during the current international break to ensure his readiness for some crucial fixtures on the horizon in the league and in the UEFA Champions League.
“It’s great to have these big games," said the defender. "You are at a club where you always want to play these types of games and now we have two coming up in a short period of time so I’m looking forward to them.
“The players who haven’t travelled away for internationals have a bit more space around in the dressing room, first and foremost, but we are also preparing for some great games. At this stage, we are having some nice sessions and a good laugh as well.
“I’m really happy that I’m over my groin injury, even though it came at a slightly unpleasant time, but I’m back, fully fit and I need to try and get as much game-time as I can.“