Source: Team_Talk
Wilson glad of hectic schedule
Celtic play their eighth summer friendly when they face Swansea on Wednesday, but Kelvin Wilson is one player grateful for the busy schedule.[LNB] Wilson did not play for Nottingham Forest again after signing a pre-contract deal with Celtic early in January, and had only played 10 games previously in an injury-hit season.[LNB]The 25-year-old feels the friendly action has allowed him to get to know his team-mates and to get back up to speed in a less demanding situation.[LNB]The centre-back started Celtic's opening SPL win over Hibernian and was not frustrated to have to wait two weeks for the second, against Aberdeen on Sunday.[LNB]Celtic opted out of the second weekend of fixtures to take on Inter Milan and an Airtricity League select in the Dublin Super Cup.[LNB]Wilson said: "I think it's helping. It's showing in training, everyone is getting sharper.[LNB]"The Inter game was a great experience, playing against world-class players, which you don't do every week. I took a few things from it."[LNB]Celtic's pre-season schedule started in Australia, where they played three games, and Wilson felt the tour was vital to help him settle in.[LNB]"Everyone knows Rangers and Celtic are big clubs but when you get here and see the fanbase and the set-up, it blows you away," Wilson said.[LNB]"It's not just the fans who expect, you expect yourself and the manager expects.[LNB]"But the hardest part is settling in and getting to know players, which I'm doing and enjoying it."[LNB]Celtic manager Neil Lennon will leave some first-team players behind with Sunday's Pittodrie encounter in mind when they travel to Wales.[LNB]"We'll try and put a good team out," Lennon told the club's official website.[LNB]"Again, we might look at a different formation and see how that suits some of the players.[LNB]"We'll go with a strongish team, and we will leave some of the more senior boys who put a lot of effort in over the weekend behind just so they have a couple of training days ahead of the game at Pittodrie."[LNB]Lennon is still looking for a goalkeeper following Croatia international Stipe Pletikosa's failure to win a deal, while the chance of a move for Craig Bellamy appears remote.[LNB]Lennon admitted last week that Bellamy was still on his list of targets but he qualified that with a comment that finances might prove an obstacle.[LNB]Bellamy, who spent last season with Cardiff, had previously stated he did not want to go out on loan from Manchester City and that he would not take a drop in wages.[LNB]That situation does not appear to have changed, although Celtic might have more chance of persuading Bellamy to return to Parkhead for a second loan spell towards the end of the transfer window if the Welshman is still sidelined at City.[LNB]Wilson said: "I think any team would welcome Craig Bellamy in their side, he's a world-class player. But if it's not meant to be, it's not meant to be."
