Sviatchenko on European dream becoming a reality at Paradise

Erik Sviatchenko’s suave nature has made him a very popular man already at Celtic, and his ambitions are very much in line with the fans.

The Danish centre-back has settled at Paradise nicely and has started every game since the League Cup semi-final against Ross County when he came on as a sub.

Three clean sheets for the Hoops defence and Craig Gordon is a positive sign, however, there is still mistakes being made and room for improvement.

Sviatchenko has made five appearances for Celtic providing two assists already for the heart of the defence and although a first goal has alluded him so far, he has his eyes set on much bigger aspirations.

As he watched his previous team Midtjylland pull off the biggest scalp in their 17-year history, the dream of Champions League football at Paradise is on his mind.

As quoted by the Glasgow Evening Times, he said:

We have to dream about things and talk about them before we can get them. Otherwise it will just be something lose you cannot feel.

Sometimes it’s very important to say we want this and make demands, otherwise it won’t get better.

At this stage in the season when it really tightens up we are making demands of each other.

People are tightening up and telling each other ‘it’s not tomorrow, it’s now.’ We have to win every game we can.’

We have to be positive. The fact something happened in the Champions League in the past does not mean it will happen again.

After seeing his partner Anne Rudmose sign for Celtic yesterday, the 24-year-old turned his attention back to his own career and how he feels life in Glasgow has gone so far.

I believe we are getting better, the opponents are not creating as many opportunities during the last three games; that’s a positive thing.

It is a process and everyone wants to be better in every aspect of the game.

Some people say if you want to win trophies it’s the defence which wins the trophies. Obviously everything comes from a compact defence. It takes time.

I am new in the squad and everyone has to cope with me and I have to cope with the boys. But so far I am seeing progress.

Since Sviatchenko signed a four-and-a-half-year deal for a fee of £1.5 million last month, he hasn’t looked out of place for a moment, and the Hoops jersey sits proudly on his shoulders.