THE countdown is on for Celtic new Bhoy Gary Mackay-Steven.

He does not just want to win a league championship medal with the Hoops - he wants to earn it.

The winger, who signed along with Stuart Armstrong from Dundee United at the end of January, has 10 games left this season to make enough appearances to qualify for a medal.

The rest of the Parkhead squad are shooting for the Treble. They already have the League Cup, and have booked a place in the Scottish Cup semi-finals next month.

But Mackay-Steven, like Armstrong, is cup-tied, so the title is the one prize he can help deliver.

He is determined to do precisely that with performances and goals like the one which helped the Hoops go five points clear with a victory over United at the weekend.

The man from Thurso has made playing enough games to qualify for a medal his first target, and said: "I want, hopefully, to contribute to the boys winning the league. If I can do that, great, because I just want to be involved as much as I can, stay fit and healthy and keep my form going.

"Even in this international break I will look to keep my fitness up so that I can come back and hit the ground running again when we play St Mirren a week on Friday."

Mackay-Steven's only downer is that, having been sidelined for three cup ties in a row, he has only had one game back before the break for internationals.

"It was really good to have the game on Saturday, and it's definitely frustrating to stop playing again," he said. "When I arrived here, it was game, game, game, game, and that's what I love.

"You want to play all the time and be involved. In other respects, it's good to get some time away from the football and take the chance to see some family and friends again. But, really, you want to be playing."

Ideally, Mackay-Steven will not be facing any down time during international breaks in the future because he will be on Scotland duty.

But the 24-year-old is not perturbed about being left out this time around, reasoning it's not as though he has suddenly been dropped after being a regular in Gordon Strachan's squad for the past two years.

In fact, he has made just one six-minute substitute appearance for his country against the USA in November, 2013.

"Everyone is talking about Stuart and me not being in this squad," said Mackay-Steven. "But I wasn't disappointed, angry or whatever.

"I'm delighted for the boys here who are involved. And I'm just like anyone else, a supporter of Scotland who wants to see them do well.

"The team has been great for the last couple of years under Gordon Strachan, and long may that continue.

"What I need to do is keep my form, stay consistent, and hopefully reach the next level with Celtic. Then I hope being picked for the Scotland squad will come."