Celtic v Hibs – “It’s a mouth-watering one, you want to go and enjoy it,” Luke McCowan

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The Celtic Star

·8 March 2025

Celtic v Hibs – “It’s a mouth-watering one, you want to go and enjoy it,” Luke McCowan

Luke McCowan spoke to the media yesterday afternoon ahead of Sunday’s Scottish Cup quarter-final against Hibernian at Celtic Park…

Luke McCowan and Yang celebrate. St Mirren v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, Saturday 1st March 2025. Photo: Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: Luke, in terms of the Scottish Cup tie, just how mouth-watering is it, the game against Hibs this weekend?

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Luke McCowan: “Yeah, it’s great. We’re looking forward to it. It’s knockout football, so we can’t get much better than that when you’re involved in it. Obviously, they get to bring a bigger allocation than normal as well, so that’ll be exciting for the neutral, I’d imagine. We’re focused on the game and we’re looking forward to it.”

Q: You’ve got the League Cup in the bag, so dominant in the league just now. Is the full focus, you feel, in terms of the treble just now?

Luke McCowan: “Yeah, 100 per cent. Regardless, I think you’re fully focused on this game come the weekend. As you said, it’s a mouth-watering one and you want to go and enjoy it and cherish it. By enjoying it, you need to go put a performance on that leads to you going through.”

Luke McCowan at Rugby Park. Photo Vagelis Georgariou for The Celtic Star.

Q: Is there still a sense of frustration after what happened at Easter Road a couple of weeks ago and you want to maybe prove a point or put that right?

Luke McCowan: “I don’t think there’s a sense of frustration, but I think you’re probably right in saying you want to go out and put on a good performance and just… how do I word this without sounding terrible? You just want to go and put a good performance on and show that the last performance you put on against them isn’t great. So that’ll be the main aim come Sunday.”

Q: Does that show that they can be dangerous though and you’ll have to be wary of their threat given the unbeaten run that they’re on?

Luke McCowan: “100 per cent, they’re on a great run. As you said, they’ll be coming into the game confident and they’ll be sure that they can get something from the game. We just need to go out there and perform well and hopefully it leads to us going through.”

Q: What’s it been like having a full week to prepare for this game?

Luke McCowan: “Different. Getting more sleep. It’s been nice though, especially for me. Probably at the start of the season, you’re getting a couple of games that are week-to-week. So, it’s nice for me to be in and get a full week training again. I wasn’t used to that hectic schedule of playing in almost three cups. So no, it’s been good, and the boys have been loving it. It’s been a good lead up to the game Sunday.”

Luke McCowan celebrates scoring the second goal during the Celtic v Ross County Scottish Premiership match at Celtic Park on Saturday November 30, 2024. Photo Steve Welsh

Q: What more have you been able to do on the training ground then?

Luke McCowan: “It’s just about being on the training ground. It’s less on the legs than it is travelling and playing a game. It’s just almost seeing the boys for longer as well. When you’re in the training ground, you’re getting to hang out with everybody more and see staff more. Some tactical bits here and there, of course. It’s just about being home and getting to see your family more as well. That helps morale around the place.”

Q: Is that something you’ve had to develop in terms of the mentality of being a Celtic player? You might be away quite a lot. It is game after game after game. Is that something you’ve had to develop?

Luke McCowan: “Yes, it’s actually something I was thinking of this week, obviously, because it’s the first week in a while that we’ve not had a game. Now that it’s past it, I was like, that was a tough couple of months. It’s the first time I’ve felt it going. This mentality, getting your body used to it, getting your mind used to it, is something that I obviously got through now, but it’s looking back going, I’m glad I pushed myself through that. You test yourself with it.”

Luke McCowan celebrates his goal. Photo Vagelis Georgariou for The Celtic Star

Q: We’re now into the business end of the season. It’s this run in. Given that you’re going to have more rest, there’s a real competition now for places to make sure you’re in for the big cup ties, for the potentially semi-finals, finals, if you can get through this. It’s a team game, but also you want that place. Is that driving everyone on?

Luke McCowan: “Yes. I think, as you said there, you know that come week to week, there isn’t probably going to be as many changes in a team. You just want to do your best out on the training pitch, your best come the games to make sure you’re making an impact and make sure that you’re in with a chance to get in the starting team. I think that’s the message for everybody in the team and the squad, knowing how great a squad we’ve got and being able to push each other to maximise the performance.”

Callum McGregor has a word with Luke McCowan. St Mirren v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, Saturday 1st March 2025. Photo: Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: The Scotland squad gets named next week. Is that something that you’ve looked at as a target for you this season?

Luke McCowan: “Maybe not a target this season. It’s just something that’s hopefully on the horizon at one point, but as I’ve said before, it’s not something that I’ve got from my career since. It’s not something that’s jumping out at me to want or get. If it comes along, it comes along. I’m at a great club. I’m playing most weeks and I’m enjoying that. If that comes along, I’m sure I’ll be happy, but it’s about focusing on Celtic just now.”

Q: Given that, though, when you are playing at such a big club and big games and developing that mentality, is that now where you feel you’d be in a better place if you were?

Luke McCowan: “I think if I was to get called up, I know I’d be able to deal with it a lot better than what I would in previous years. If it does come along, I know I’ll be ready for it mentally and physically and tactically. Hopefully it does come along, but if it doesn’t, it’s not something that’s going to get to me.”

Conor Spence