'He’s been solid in the games he’s played, added energy,' CCV on Colby Donovan

Q: How are you feeling about the weekend’s game?

Cameron Carter-Vickers: “Yeah, good, looking forward to it. Obviously, a couple of weeks now without a game, so it’ll be good to get back out there and back playing.”

Q: How’s training been during the international break, and has it been a time to regroup and get ready to go again?

Cameron Carter-Vickers:  “I’ve been away with the USA, so yeah, today was actually my first day back in. But it was good. The boys enjoyed it, and we’re working hard.”

Q: Before we get onto the USA stuff, how do you assess the start to the season? We’re almost past the “start” phase and into full flow now—how would you evaluate how the team has done so far?

Cameron Carter-Vickers:  “I think, to be fair, it’s been OK. Obviously, there are areas we want to improve, but in terms of results—especially domestically—it’s been pretty good.”

Q: You’re two games into the European campaign. What’s your view on how that’s gone so far?

Cameron Carter-Vickers:  “We want to start getting points on the board, but I thought the point away from home was decent. It was disappointing to lose at home to Braga, but we’re still playing games to earn our place in that competition.”

Q: You mentioned areas for improvement—what specifically do you think needs to get better?

Cameron Carter-Vickers:  “In general, you’re always looking to improve, but I think right now we’re particularly focused on our attacking play—creating more opportunities and scoring more goals.”

Q: How do you feel the defence has been performing overall?

Cameron Carter-Vickers:  “I think it’s been pretty good. We conceded two in the last game against Motherwell and two against Braga, but since then, we haven’t conceded many at all, to be honest. Even the goals we conceded at Braga—one was a 30-yard strike and the other came late in the game. Apart from that, we didn’t give up many chances, so I think we’re doing OK defensively.”

Q: Do you feel like the team is starting to gel, especially with a few new faces in the squad? Two new left-backs, Alistair being out—he’s been such a key player—and Colby coming in as well. Do you feel you’re starting to understand each other better?

Cameron Carter-Vickers:  “Yeah, I think so. Like you said, we’ve had a few players in and out, but as time’s gone on, we’ve become more cohesive. Hopefully that continues.”

Q: It seems like it’s been a very stop-start season so far with the international breaks. What have you made of it?

Cameron Carter-Vickers:  “Yeah, I mean, it’s always like that. Every year you play for three or four weeks, then you’re off for two. But that’s just the schedule—you’ve got to roll with it.”

Q: Is it difficult to build momentum with that kind of stop-start rhythm?

Cameron Carter-Vickers: “Yeah, I think there are definitely enough games to build momentum, but you’re right—after the final international break in November, there’s pretty much non-stop club football from mid-November to March. That’s always a key period of the season, and it probably will be again this year.”

Q: Looking ahead to the World Cup next summer in the U.S.—how exciting is that?

Cameron Carter-Vickers:   “It should be great in America. I was just away with the team, and everyone’s really looking forward to it. The fans and media are excited too, so it should be a good tournament.”

Q: It must help that the U.S. doesn’t have to qualify?

Cameron Carter-Vickers: “Yeah, that definitely makes it easier. But as a team, we’re focused on putting in good performances when the tournament comes around.”

Q: A few of the Celtic boys could also be involved with their countries. Do you feel like there’s a little group forming here?

Cameron Carter-Vickers:  “Yeah, that’s what you want to see. Players want to represent their countries and play as many games as they can. As a player, it’s something you take pride in, so yeah—we’re all looking forward to it.”

Q: How good will it be to have Alistair back in defence?

Cameron Carter-Vickers:  “Yeah, it’ll be great. I’m not sure exactly when he’ll be back in games, but he’s been out there for about a week now, running and training, so he’s close.”

Q: And in terms of Colby—what have you made of his impact on the team so far?

Cameron Carter-Vickers: : “He’s been really good. He’s taken everything in stride, which is just his personality. He’s been solid in the games he’s played, added energy to the team—so yeah, he’s been a good addition.”

Q: As one of the more experienced players, do you feel a responsibility to help him settle—not just on the pitch, but off it too?

Cameron Carter-Vickers:  “To be fair, with him, I don’t think he needs a lot of help. He takes things in his stride. He came through the academy here, so he knows what the club’s about. He’s just going day by day and doing well.”

Q: Dundee, how tough is that fixture against them? The 3-3 game last time showed how competitive it can be.

Cameron Carter-Vickers:  “Yeah, I don’t think any game has given me an easy time. A lot of the time I’ve played up there, they’ve been difficult, tight games. So, I’m expecting the same this weekend.”

Q: Going back to the U.S. and the World Cup next summer—how do you feel the national team is shaping up? There’s been a lot of scrutiny around the manager, especially with the U.S. being one of the hosts.

Cameron Carter-Vickers:  “I think if you look at the team from when Pochettino came in to now, you can see clear development. There’s more of his identity showing through—the way he wants his teams to play. In this last camp, we beat Australia 2-1 and drew 1-1 with Ecuador, who are doing well in a tough qualifying region. So I think those were two good results.”

Q: I know your mantra is “one game at a time,” and your focus is on Celtic. But how important is it to you to be in that U.S. starting XI for the opening game?

Cameron Carter-Vickers:  “Obviously, if I’m thinking about that time, that’s the position I want to be in—playing and starting. But like you said, it’s far away. If I’m not focused on the present, then that won’t happen. So my focus is game by game, and hopefully, if things go well, I’ll be in that position.”

Q: Finally, what’s Pochettino like to work with?

Cameron Carter-Vickers: “He’s great. A really nice guy who gets on well with everyone. He’s also a demanding coach, which is exactly what you want as a player.”

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