Lukasz Zaluska charts plan for long stay at No.1

  • Text size
  • Send this article to a friend
  • Print this article

Lukasz Zaluska charts plan for long stay at No.1

Lukasz Zaluska has revealed he considers himself to be Celtic's first choice keeper – and is hoping to spend the entire season between the sticks for Neil Lennon's team.

Source Publication: 
ET

Lennon has been linked with moves for a host of goalies in the summer, with Croatian internationalist Stipe Pletikosa and Belgian player Stijn Stijnen both having been on trial at Lennoxtown.

Elsewhere, Grzegorz Sandomierski of Polish club Jagiellonia Bialystok is attracting their interest.

But Zaluska, who spent the majority of the 2010/11 campaign warming the bench as loan keeper Fraser Forster was preferred, is undeterred by the speculation.

He has played regularly during pre-season and was given the nod in the 2-0 win over Hibs at Easter Road in the SPL earlier this month.

Even a shocking blunder in the 2-0 defeat to Inter Milan in the Dublin Super Cup, where he misjudged a Giampaolo Pazzini long ball, has not affected the 29-year-old's confidence.

He said: "Of course, I see myself as Celtic's No.1. I don't think one mistake should change anything. I have played five games recently and those goals in the Inter game were the first I have conceded so, yes, I do hope to keep my place.

"I feel great in mind and body. My confidence and my fitness are high and I am ready to play every game this season.

"Last season was the worst season of my career. I said to myself before pre-season this summer: 'Last season was terrible and now you have to ensure that never happens again, and that you play more games in the new season'.

"All I was focused on was that I wanted to be the No.1 Celtic keeper so I spoke to our goalkeeping coach Woodsy (Stephen Woods) and over the summer I was in the gym every day doing extra work to ensure I was ready for the new season and the new challenge.

"I'm not going to lie, the situation here is not very easy. You want to know that you are No.1 or No.2, but every day in the media Celtic are linked with another new goalkeeper.

"I just have to focus on myself and try to prove I deserve to start in goal in every match for the club. I hope and I feel that I deserve the chance."

Former Dundee United keeper Zaluska was seen as the heir apparent to his Artur Boruc when his countryman left Celtic for Serie A club Fiorentina last summer.

And he has confessed it has been tough not being involved with Celtic's first-choice side in the last 12 months as Forster, who has returned to Barclays Premier League club Newcastle United, has been given the nod ahead of him.

But he is determined to stay at the Hoops in the coming 10 months, play regularly and earn himself a lucrative new contract with the Glasgow giants.

He explained: "It has been hard to be on the sidelines, especially when your team is winning the Scottish Cup. It is not easy when you train all week and then every Saturday you go to Celtic Park and there are 60,000 people in the stands – and you are one of them.

"Having to watch the match instead of playing in it is very frustrating. That's why things must change for me. I want to start games for Celtic.

"I am 29 and that is a good age for a goalkeeper. I have another year on my contract and I hope I don't have to go out on loan or move permanently away from Parkhead.

"I am ready to be No.1 at Celtic and I will give 100 per cent to make sure that happens."

Commenting & Moderation

We moderate all comments on Evening Times on either a pre-moderated or post-moderated basis. If you're a relatively new user then your comments will be reviewed before publication and if we know you well then your comments will be subject to moderation only if other users or the moderators believe you've broken the rules, which are available here.

Moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. Please be patient if your posts are not approved instantly.