Stephen Welsh can draw on 15 years of pressure at Celtic as another season moves towards a tense and exciting run-in.
The 24-year-old defender came through the club’s youth ranks before making his debut in February 2020 during a 4–1 win away to Hamilton.
Welsh has had to fight for game time since but has taken over recently from injured Cameron Carter-Vickers and he was again paired with Liam Scales for the trip to St Mirren on Sunday.
The Scottish champions have been criticised at times this season for their performances but the 2-0 Scottish Gas Scottish Cup win in Paisley, which set up a quarter-final clash with Livingston next month, made it eight wins and a draw in their last nine games.
Celtic also lead Rangers by three points at the top of the cinch Premiership, albeit the Light Blues having the chance to go top against Ross County at Ibrox on Wednesday night with their game in hand.
Welsh, who signed a new four-year deal last August, said: “I’ve known the pressure for 15 years now. Every week you need to go and win.
“You enjoy it as well, you enjoy the pressure because you need to win. A draw or a defeat is a nightmare so yeah, we know the pressure and we stand up to it all the time.
“We are used to this. Every season the pressure for every Celtic player is huge.
“We deal with it really well. Especially the last couple of seasons, we have been very successful and it is about us maintaining the standards to be successful again and go and win the trophies that are available to us.
“There is always a determination in this group. Not only the quality but the character that we have.
“We have a lot of experienced players who have won trophies. We won a treble last season so the experience we have in the team is excellent.
“We take every game 100 per cent, every training session leads up to the next game so for us, it is normal for us to be under that pressure and we always deal with it very well.
“We are always strong together. We know that every team wants to beat Celtic and our job is to win games, perform well and win trophies for the club.”
Welsh is delighted to be back in the first team and enjoyed a tough test against the Buddies who succumbed to goals from Japanese duo Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda.
He said: “It was a frustrating first few months, I had a bad injury and was out for four or five months so to get back into the swing of things, that is my first 90 minutes in a while so delighted with the clean sheet as well. Joe Hart had to make a couple of saves but that is what he is there for.
“They are a physical team and they like to put balls in the box.
“It is very effective for them. We had to deal with it and I thought we dealt with it well as a back four and Joe included.
“We are together, we are really a united team so we will move forward.”
Reggae Boyz call on fans for crucial CONCACAF Nations League clash against Honduras
Demarai Gray and Head Coach Steve McClaren have called on Jamaican fans to pack the National Stadium in Kingston on Monday night as the Reggae Boyz face Honduras in a critical CONCACAF Nations League Group B showdown. Jamaica needs at least a draw to secure a spot in the quarter-finals, but with Honduras' dangerous attacking form and the possibility of Nicaragua defeating French Guiana, a win is the safer route to qualification.
Monday’s clash set for 8:00 pm (Jamaica) will be the 30th meeting between the two nations, with both sides having won 12 games each, and five ending in draws. The Reggae Boyz are undefeated in their last seven encounters with Honduras, a streak that stretches back to 2013. However, Honduras remains a formidable opponent, leading the group in scoring with eight goals and looking to shake their recent defensive struggles.
Gray, who has been instrumental in Jamaica's recent back-to-back away wins against Honduras (2-1) and Nicaragua (2-0), emphasized the importance of fan support for Monday’s high-stakes encounter. "I think it's very important. Going to those countries and playing, I kind of like the hostile feeling about it. It kind of gives me a boost as well, but I think the stature of Jamaica...I've said it before, the Jamaican culture is popular all over the world, and I am honoured to represent the country," Gray said.
The Reggae Boyz winger urged fans to turn out in large numbers and create an atmosphere that will inspire the players and intimidate the opposition. "As a player, it's something I am always looking forward to—the stadium being full, a sellout, having that atmosphere. The 12th man behind you is massively important, and I've played football long enough to know it can intimidate teams as well. With the quality we have, a lot of teams will be intimidated already, so with the fans backing us, it’s just an extra bonus for us," Gray added.
Coach McClaren echoed Gray’s sentiments, highlighting the role of the fans in creating a powerful home advantage. "One of our goals, the vision that I have, is to fill the stadium, to have a full house, and for it to be rocking. With the music and everything going on around the game, it’s very different from Nicaragua, very different from Honduras, but just as intimidating," McClaren said.
He explained that the energy from the crowd could provide the team with the extra push needed to secure the win. "It's not about intimidation; it's about uplifting the home players. That's what a home advantage is—to lift you above the opponent, to give you an extra 10 to 20 percent to deliver the result. So, we need the fans," McClaren stressed.
With Jamaica ranked 61st in the latest FIFA rankings, 16 places above Honduras, and in good form heading into this decisive fixture, the support from the Jamaican crowd could be the key to securing a quarter-final berth in the CONCACAF Nations League.
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Saint Vincent and the Grenadines stun El Salvador with 2-1 victory in Nations League action
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines delivered a stunning performance on Sunday, defeating El Salvador 2-1 in a dramatic Concacaf Nations League clash at Arnos Vale Stadium. The victory cut El Salvador’s lead at the top of Group A in League B to just two points, reigniting the Vincy Heat’s hopes of advancing in the competition.
Heading into the match, El Salvador was on the verge of earning promotion and securing a direct spot in the 2025 Gold Cup with a win. However, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines had other plans, rallying in front of their home fans to secure a crucial three points.
The hosts took the lead in the 39th minute when Shakeem Adams capitalized on a bouncing ball in the box, slotting it home from close range to send the crowd into early celebrations. Despite El Salvador's efforts to find a quick equalizer, they were unable to break through the Vincy Heat defense in the first half.
El Salvador, however, responded with intensity in the second half, and their persistence paid off in the 71st minute. Captain Rudy Clavel headed in a redirected ball from a corner kick to bring La Selecta level, putting them back in control of their promotion ambitions.
But the drama was far from over. In the 88th minute, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines snatched the win with a moment of brilliance. Diel Spring slid in to connect with a perfectly placed cross from Bishon Richards, sending the ball past the El Salvador goalkeeper and sparking wild celebrations at Arnos Vale.
With the win, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines moved to seven points, closing the gap on group leaders El Salvador, who remain at the top with nine points. Meanwhile, Bonaire leaped to third in the group with four points after a 1-0 win over Montserrat, while Montserrat now sits at the bottom of Group A with three points.
The victory marks a significant moment for the Vincy Heat as they continue their push for qualification, while El Salvador will now have to regroup to secure promotion in the final stages of the 2024/25 Concacaf Nations League.
Guardiola has 'not decided anything' amid England job speculation
Pep Guardiola has played down expectations that he has decided to take over as the next permanent England manager.
The 53-year-old would be a popular choice for the job, given the success that has followed him at every club since becoming a manager.
Guardiola has won six Premier League titles at City, including each of the last four, while he won three league titles each with Bayern Munich and Barcelona. He is also a three-time Champions League winner and 10-time domestic cup winner as a manager.
But when asked about the England job amid reports claiming his next step had been decided, he was not drawn on any speculation.
"It's not true. I'm Manchester City manager," he told Che Tempo Che Fa, as per transfer football expert Fabrizio Romano.
But despite his dismissive comments, Guardiola stopped short of shutting down the rumours that he could be considering becoming the next England manager.
"I've not decided anything, everything can happen. So I don't know," he said.
"Let's see on my future. I still need to reflect and decide what I want to do."
Guardiola's contract at City is up at the end of the 2024-25 season, with the Spaniard yet to make a decision on his future at the club.
Alongside any potential sanctions that City might face in their long-running battle with the Premier League, speculation about their manager's future has been rife in recent months.
He is far and away City's most successful manager of all time, maintaining a win percentage of over 70% after 483 matches in charge, while he is second to Alex Ferguson as the manager with the most Premier League titles.
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