Erik Sviatchenko

today's press conference
https://streamable.com/c6uz

 

Sviatchenko: “I couldn’t sleep after the Man City game because of the adrenaline pumping. So I used the time to go through the game.”


Sviatchenko: “We have a thing called InStats where you can see all your clips. I go through it minute by minute.”

 

Love his dedication. Hopefully rubs off on the rest of the team.

 

don't know how the rest of the may feel about the big man rubbing one off on them haha

 

future celtic captain.

 

I think it was Mr Monaghan that said a few pages back that without speaking far too soon obviously, he couldn't see him leaving and I agree that I definitely think he'll be here for a large portion of his career at least.

He just seems a perfect fit for us.

 

Aye, don't think he'll ever attract interest from any 'bigger' clubs, which might mean he stays here as long as we want him really. A cracking player, just don't think he stands out as much as guys like Van Dijk, Wanyama etc.

Plays with his heart on his sleeve. Cracking player and seems a nice guy to boot. Hoping him & Jozo are a real long term partnership for us.

 

Does and says all the right things.

I feel the way about him as I felt with Paul Elliott when he arrived, fortunately, it looks like Erik is here for the long haul, I certainly hope so anyway.

The affinity I have for this guy is unlike anything I've had for a long time.

:brendy:

 

Don't get any ideas. He's mine.

 

We'll find out, or not. I think he might be watched by your bottom half epl/promoted championship teams but don't think the bigger teams will be after him. Hope so anyway as I think he would rather be here than play for a team at that level. Seems to have took the club to his heart, the same way we've all took to him.

 

We are all Erik Sviatchenko.

 

Fight ye for him!

 

Do you get your hair cut like him.

 

I like how he is a more old fashioned style defender, reads play well and enjoys battling with forwards. Sticks to them like glue as well, sort of defender old Italian managers and that would like, could imagine him playing for one of the Milan teams in future since they are pretty * the now and don't have the pulling power to get the best players he'd be the sort of defender I could imagine their scouts noticing.

 

fan Questions to Erik at the superstore tonight
favourite moment in a hoops jersey so far?

Winning my first title


who is your favourite player of all time ?

Zola


what is the best game with the best atmosphere you have played at

@ManCity in the #UCL.

 

WITH so much on his plate outside of football as a first-time father and fashion guru, finding time to focus on Celtic could be difficult for Erik Sviatchenko, but the Danish star is a true professional and knows how to balance his work and personal life.

The 25-year-old has steadily improved since he joined the Hoops in January this year, so much so that it’s hard to believe he’s not played a full season for the champions yet.

Under Brendan Rodgers, the central defender has gone from strength to strength and is now an imperious presence in the heart of the Celtic rearguard who is also a big favourite with the Hoops support, something he hopes to continue in 2017.

“It has been a positive ride forward so far,” he said in this week’s special Christmas edition of the Celtic View. “There have been some bumps on the way but they are bumps I’ve been able to overcome with the help of my team-mates and the staff.

"I’m really pleased with my development as a human-being and as a footballer, because it’s important to divide the two.

“When you go on the pitch you put on the Celtic shirt and perform as a footballer but you need to live well outside the pitch, and that’s why I’m able to perform at a high level because I feel comfortable and feel like I can improve. It’s a good environment at Celtic.”

In Denmark, Sviatchenko would already be off work for the festive season just now, not only enjoying a month’s break with the majority of the rest of his country’s workers but also getting set for pre-season, which runs from January to March/April as many countries in Northern Europe shut down their leagues for the bleak winter months.

At Celtic, however, the Hoops star still has another three fixtures to go before Christmas, with a further two games squeezed in between Boxing Day and New Year, including the Glasgow derby at Ibrox on Hogmanay.

“At the moment we’re in a really good run and people are performing and taking all these good things into their next game,” he added.

“You can see we’re getting better and the Champions League campaign was a good example of that, but sometimes it’s important to give yourself breathing space and that’s going to be a good thing for us.

“We’ll have five days with the family over a busy December and then we will go for a small training camp in Dubai and we’ll start again so I think it’ll be good.

“I’ll do everything I can so we can lift as many titles as we can because I’m here to win trophies and be remembered. It means a lot to me to be a part of something that can make history and not just be around for nothing. I’m looking forward to doing everything I can with my team-mates.”

 

ERIK Sviatchenko believes that Celtic’s long unbeaten domestic run can only boost their belief ahead of every match. The Hoops made it 20 games without defeat on Saturday when they dispatched Dundee 2-1 in Paradise – their 11th league win in a row.

And as Brendan Rodgers’ side prepare to entertain Partick Thistle tomorrow (Tuesday) night, the defender is determined to keep their impressive record going.

“It’s a nice feeling to be on a run when we haven’t lost for 20 games now and it’s important for growing the confidence going into every game, knowing we are difficult to beat, and we will try to continue it, which is the main thing," he said.

“It’s positive, especially for a defender to be unbeaten and it’s something I cherish and something a defender should cherish. We aren’t unbeatable but the feeling of it grows in our mind, and the first place it starts is the belief, which gives us the opportunity to go into the games and win them.”

Helped by a Stuart Armstrong double, the Bhoys brushed aside the Jags 4-1 just 10 days ago at Firhill and Sviatchenko insists they won’t be putting too much focus on any possible tactical switches by their Glasgow rivals.

“We know how they play and it’s going to be a good game and hopefully we do well again,” he said. “Sometimes you can expect adjustments because of the game they played at Firhill, but we always think about ourselves and our quality and that should be enough when we are on our best performance levels.”

At the weekend, Celtic came up against a dogged Dundee side that employed plenty of men behind the ball and attempted to frustrate them.

The Hoops eventually broke their resistance, with Leigh Griffiths opening the scoring with a fantastic free-kick on the stroke of half-time, and Nir Bitton doubled the advantage the 57th minute.

Marcus Haber’s deflected strike gave the visitors some late impetus as they finally emerged from their defensive shell in a search for an unlikely share of the spoils, but the champions prevailed. And Sviatchenko felt theses events underlined the need for Celtic to retain their composure, concentration and togetherness when teams come to Paradise and sit in.

“It’s always difficult especially for the passing, flow and speed of the game when 11 men are defending in their own half," he said, "and it’s important to have top concentration levels as there will be one thing in the game that will be decisive to their advantag. So it’s crucial to focus on our defensive part and be on the front foot.

“There will always be spells in the game where they will be a bit more direct with long balls and put up a defender or two and smash it up, and that’s when we need to be 100 per cent together – when one goes up in a duel, the other covers and that’s just the team structure you need throughout the 90 minutes and added time.”