'Everything is for her': The Celtic star who is now in 'different place' in second Rodgers stint

Anthony Ralston during a Celtic training session ahead of facing Aberdeen on Sunday.

Anthony Ralston was one of the few faces familiar to Brendan Rodgers when he returned as Celtic manager this summer but the defender believes he has changed immeasurably during that four-year gap.

He has been out on another loan spell at St Johnstone before returning to Parkhead where he was reinvented by Ange Postecoglou as an inverted full-back. Ralston has also become a Scotland international and a father to a baby daughter since Rodgers was last in town.All those developments, the 24 year-old believes, will strengthen his case for regular football as he prepares to vie with Alistair Johnston for a place in the starting line-up.

“The gaffer was here when I was younger and he put a lot of faith in me,” reflected Ralston. “He gave me chances and, looking back, that was massive for my career. I’m now in a different place both in my personal life and here too. I’ve got my wee girl and that’s the difference from when the gaffer was here previously. She’s my reason for what I do now. Everything is for her. The gaffer will relate to that too. Back then I was in a different place, I was a kid trying to come into a team that was very hard to break into. I’m still fighting every day to do that – nothing much has changed there - but my football has evolved and I have learned as time has gone on. Hopefully I can put it all into practice.”

Scotland are in good shape to qualify for next summer’s European Championships. Aaron Hickey, Nathan Patterson and Calvin Ramsay provide considerable depth at right-back but Ralston will also have a decent chance of making it to Germany if he continues to play regularly for Celtic. “Every chance you get (in international football) you need to take,” he added. “Working hard in training and trying to show the gaffer that he can rely on me when I do play. Hopefully there will be more games in the future. It’s a big part of everybody’s career, wanting to play for your country.”