Source: FOOTYMAD
No easy transition for Josh Thompson
Josh Thompson's apprenticeship at Parkhead has been in fast forward mode since he arrived. 19-year-old Josh Thompson is slowly coming to terms with what it means to be a Celtic player. The highs and lows of this season have meant that Thomson has had a quicker elevation to the first team than envisaged when he was signed from Stockport by Tony Mowbray last summer with a view to the future.Thompson has been fast-tracked to be a regular partner to Darren O'Dea since the turn of the year due to injuries to Glenn Loovens, Jos Hooiveld and Thomas Rogne. Sunday night saw his efforts recognised when he was picked as Celtic's Young Player of the Year. It has not always been a bed of roses for the young Englishman, who has come in for plenty of criticism as the club's title hopes slipped away and his involvement in the Ross County Active Nation Scottish Cup semi-final debacle. Thompson said: "I think centre-backs are more open to criticism when something goes wrong. But football is a game of opinions and criticism and even if you play well there will always be someone who wants to pull you up for something. You learn to accept it. It's just part of the game so you have to get on with it. This season has been more than I expected. I never expected to play nearly as much as I have. But I'm more than happy to be playing, even in games that haven't gone our way. I just want to be involved. I feel I've improved a lot since I came in. I made a step up when I played with the reserves and then I stepped up again when I started to train with the first team. I think I've grown off the pitch as well, dealing with a lot of pressures. I think you have to mature as a person because it's a man's game. I have a lot of respect for other players who have broken through because I know how difficult it is, especially considering my position. Centre-backs don't usually hit their peak until they are older, well, older than I am anyway. Anybody who gets in to the team at my age, or even in their early 20s, is considered young and I have a lot of respect for anyone who manages it." Apart from losing in the Scottish Cup, The Hoops have won four out of four SPL games under interim boss Neil Lennon and Thompson is looking to extend that run when Sunday sees them take on third-placed Dundee United at Tannadice. He said: "Dundee United are pushing us just now which is added pressure. But with a club this size and with Celtic being who they are, you don't need any more incentive to win a game. Whether you are challenging for the top or there is someone behind you, every game is must-win. The motivation isn't a problem for the remaining games. The season hasn't gone as well as we wanted and I don't think we've done ourselves justice so I think the players feel they have something to prove to everyone."
