mcgowan is a bhoy on a mission

Gregor Kyle
AFTER nine months of competitive football the campaign is reaching a stage in where the stresses and strains of the season begin to take their toll on a squad.

Some players play on, patched up through injury, others ignore the tiredness and exhaustion that bites during a league run-in.

But having endured a miserable year on the sidelines recovering from a knee injury, it feels as though the season is only beginning for Celtic striker Paul McGowan.

In the reserve team’s two recent games against St Mirren, when Willie McStay’s men blasted their way back into contention in the title race, the 20-year-old has looked like a player determined to make up for lost time.

In both games he was Man of the Match, opening the scoring with a sublime chip to put Celtic on the road to a 3-0 victory.

“To go from enjoying every minute of my football, training with the first team and making my Celtic debut, to this injury was hard to take,” McGowan told the official Celtic website.

“But I just need to get on with it, things happen in football and you have to get through it.

“This is a crucial stage of the season and it’s all happening now. The first team are defending the title, the reserves are going for the title as well and it’s all go, there are places there for people to go and impress.

“I am just glad to be back,” he added, “because when you're injured you feel right out the picture, so it’s nice to be back and playing. That’s a couple of big wins for us now and you could see that in the boys after the game.

“In all fairness to St Mirren though, it’s no surprise that they are at the top of this table because they're a good footballing side and it was hard against them in both games.”

A natural striker who is aalso comfortable playing just behind the front two, McGowan first rose to prominence last season when he emerged from a highly successful Under-19 team to claim Second Division Player of the Season during a loan spell at Morton.

During his time on the sidelines he has been praised by Gordon Strachan for his commitment and attitude and was included on the bench for the recent derby win over Rangers.

He has also shown his versatility in recent reserve games, moving into midfield and he continued: “When I came in at half-time a week ago against St Mirren and Willie told me that I was playing centre-midfield, I was excited because I like to get on the ball and work hard.

"It was tough because it was a whole new ball game. I had to be switched on all the time and I am usually up the field waiting on the ball rather than marking people.

“But it was a new challenge for me and I enjoyed every minute of it."

The reserves are next in action against Hearts on Monday (April 28) at the Forthbank Stadium (kick-off: 2pm).