The Celtic player keen to do a Christopher Jullien in Viaplay Cup final against Rangers

Celtic defender Carl Starfelt fancies stealing the limelight at Hampden this weekend in the Viaplay Cup Final as Ange Postecoglou’s side go up against Rangers with the first domestic silverware of the season on offer.

The quiet man of the Celtic defence joked that it would be nice to play a leading part - as fellow defender Christopher Jullien did on the same stage against the same opposition when he settled the 2019 final. “I will do my best - that would be nice!” he smiled.

On a more serious note, however, it is Celtic’s defensive stability that has provided the foundation for the free-scoring football that has been the hallmark of this season. The 4-0 win over Aberdeen was a routine flexing of muscle that offered further evidence that this is a Celtic side ripe to showcase their superiority on Sunday’s Hampden stage.

With the goalscoring stats now running at 106 goals from 37 games across all competition this term, Starfelt was eager to explain the part the defence plays in such prowess. Aberdeen did not muster a solitary shot on target with a shaky Joe Hart moment the nearest they got to offering anything of note in the final third.

Celtic's Christopher Jullien celebrates scoring the winner in the Betfred Cup Final of 2019. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

“We like to stop the teams high up the pitch if we can do it which is why you don’t see in some games too many clearances inside the box or too many dangerous situations because we are on the front foot and really defending in their half of the pitch,” he said. “Defensively it is the foundation of our game to work really hard and everyone works hard defensively so we can win the ball high up the pitch.”

The test of just far ahead Celtic are of everyone else will come on Sunday with the 50-50 ticket split meaning that this is a meeting between that differs in hue from league outings which essentially entail each team stepping into the lion’s den of the others turf.

All eyes will be on Postecoglou’s side as they look to go one better than last season a claim a domestic treble. Any pressure that surrounds the build-up seems to have been lost on the laidback Starfelt.

“We had all the focus on this game [Aberdeen] so we will rest up and then have a big game to look forward to. Every trophy means a lot to us so we will always try to win as much as we can. It is a big game and we are looking forward to it alot.

Celtic's Carl Starfelt is all smiles after helping his side keeping a clean sheet in the 4-0 win over Aberdeen. (Photo by Paul Devlin / SNS Group)

“We will go in to play our football and give everything to win the game and how it will play out, we will see on the day. It is too difficult to predict. We will go in to play our football and with our game plan and we will see.

“It will obviously be big for the club, for the team and the fans to win it. We will have a good week of preparation and then we will do everything on the day to win it.

“We have really good confidence within the squad because we have been scoring a lot of goals. We have not been conceding many goals. We have a great squad and great competition within the squad and training has been outstanding so we will go in with a high confidence and a belief in our game.”