Source: FOOTYMAD
Second time around for Mulgrew
Charlie Mulgrew knows he will have to work hard to earn his place. Charlie Mulgrew has been given a second chance at Celtic after failing to make the grade first time around under Gordon Strachan but knows it could be even harder to hold down a first-team place. The 24-year-old moved from Celtic Park to Wolves four years ago after his career at the club came to a shuddering halt under Strachan. Two years later he moved Aberdeen and, after impressing current Celtic boss Neil Lennon, was snapped up by the Northern Irishman on a three-year deal as a free agent. Mulgrew was joined yesterday by 29-year-old South Korea defender Cha Du-ri, who signed initially on a two year deal, subject to a work permit. The former Celtic youth player knows there is likely to be stiff competition for places under Lennon's regime and is not taking anything for granted. He said: "Obviously it's a massive club and it will be hard to get into the team. But it's up to me to work hard, improve over pre-season and show I'm good enough to play here. It's a great club and there are great players here so it's going to be hard. But I was down in England and I got a feel for what it was like down there which has made me a better player. I've had a couple of setbacks but I've always believed in myself, in my ability. I'm determined and I work hard. I don't like to look back to the past. It's all about the future now. A club the size of this will always be tough. You need to prove yourself every single day but I know that and I will look to do that." Mulgrew denied there was a clash of personalities with Strachan but claimed personal development makes him better placed to take advantage of a rare second chance at Celtic. He said: "At the time things weren't working here under that manager and it was time to move on. I wouldn't say it was a personal situation. The relationship was fine. It was for football reasons. Different managers have different opinions on players and maybe I wasn't his type of player at the time. Obviously you want to get chances coming through at a club and I was disappointed that I didn't get a proper chance but when I got the opportunity to move on I had to take it. I had to play games - that was the most important thing for me at that time. These things happen in football and you just have to move on and believe you can make a career for yourself and I was happy to do that at the time. It's up to me now. I think I have matured as a person. It's maybe taken a couple of setbacks for me to be the person I am now. But I feel that I am definitely a better player and a better person as well."
