Kasper Schmeichel has stressed the importance of staying “focused on the here and the now” as he relishes the physical and mental demands of Celtic’s busy schedule.
The goalkeeper enjoyed his 38th birthday on Tuesday, making a couple of big saves in a 3-1 Champions League victory over RB Leipzig that came just a few days after a thumping 6-0 win against Aberdeen in the semi-finals of the League Cup.
A Premiership visit to Kilmarnock on Sunday is next and the Denmark international insists that is all he is concerned with.
“It’s about staying grounded now and not getting too carried away,” he said.
“Tuesday’s gone. We’re not thinking of that any more. That was a fantastic night for all of us, but we park that and we move on to the next one.
“Now it’s away to Kilmarnock and all the challenges it brings, with the pitch and everything else.
“In modern football, you have to be on your game in every single game. There are no easy games.
“That’s the beauty and the challenge of playing at a club like Celtic. You have to be able to adapt to all the different competitions you’re in.”
‘Every single step deserves attention’
Celtic have taken seven points from four matches in the Champions League, sit top of the domestic league with nine wins and a draw from their 10 outings and are looking forward to the first domestic final of the season against Rangers in December.
“It’s been a really good start, but that’s it,” said Schmeichel. “It’s a start. It’s not about how you start, it’s how you finish.
“So every single step along the way deserves the attention because that’s what’s ultimately going to make you achieve your goals.
“In my experience, the most important thing is to stay focused on the here and the now.
“You learn that you don’t get too high, you don’t get too low.
“We’re in a period now until probably somewhere around March where we’ve got a game every three or four days. So the best thing you can do is, you feel whatever you need to feel until midnight and then you move on.”