Ambrose hails team support after defensive errors

Celtic defender Efe Ambrose has applauded his team-mates for helping him overcome a period of inconsistency at the back.

The 27-year-old Nigerian defender has played in the last two games because of an injury to Dedryck Boyata and has helped keep two clean sheets with assured displays against Partick Thistle and Stranraer.

Ambrose spoke at a press conference at Lennoxtown ahead of the Scottish champions next game against Dundee United where he gave an insight into the pressure of being a Celtic defender and how Ronny Deila assists them in overcoming it.

You get criticised but the most important thing is how you get back on your feet. It could be me, it could be someone else but the important thing is the team. During that time they stood by me, helped me out and they were there for me to pull me out of it. I never gave up and always tried to do my best.

Even if I was playing and I made a mistake, I tried my best to come out of it to help the team because the team comes first. Every time you lose, someone is blamed and criticised but when you win everything is fine, so this is life. You just have to live with it, work hard and when you’ve been criticised you just have to go back, look at your mistakes and try to work on that.

Ambrose also hailed manager Ronny Deila for the effort he puts in with each individual and the overall group to get the best out of them.

While he knows his ability isn’t the best he also believes going back to the basics and building from there will help him when he dons the Hoops jersey.

The gaffer really helps us as individuals, as a group, as a team, to deal with that. I believe those days are past now and there is a new beginning and a new dawn. I just focus on what I’m doing now, keep my head cool, concentrate and do the simple things, like the gaffer is always saying.

It makes you a stronger person. I can’t say I’m the best but football is about learning. It’s about how the manager wants you to play, so right now I just do what the manager wants me to do.

I realise that as a defender you need to concentrate first and do the simple things. Defend first and then the other things are a bonus. Right now I’m just trying to defend, do my job and help the team out and concentrate for the 90 minutes.

The team will look to the defender to help defeat the Dundee United in an attempt to go six points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership for couple of days at least.