Elliott Cuff 
Ian MacNicol/Getty Images Sport
Ryan Christie has revealed that Celtic have grand ambition to succeed even further in the Europa League this season.
The Bhoys have impressed in the continental competition so far this season, achieving the club’s first win in Italy ever earlier this month, while a 3-1 win over Rennes on Thursday confirmed the club’s top spot in their group.
Christie has impressed himself this season, having scored 13 times in 26 appearances for the Hoops across all competitions.
While the Scotland international admits that Celtic are very happy to have achieved what they have already this season, the playmaker admits that they are far from finished.
Talking of his delight at having contribute to Celtic’s win against Rennes with a goal, as reports Celtic’s website, Christie said:
It was good to score and to do it in a big game was brilliant. I’m on 13 goals now and hopefully I get a few more before Christmas. I’m also delighted for Lewis to get on the scoresheet as well.
We did everything right in the first half and we probably deserved the two-goal lead at half-time. The gaffer’s message at half-time was to just keep things the same. We wanted that third goal to kill off the game and we got it.
Looking back, that goal might have hindered us a little bit. That sounds silly but the game seemed to die in the last 20 minutes and it was about getting over the line.
The boys were frustrated to concede a goal at the end but, apart from that, it was a pretty solid performance and gives us a lot of confidence. We’ve got good results in Europe so far but that was probably our most dominant win.
Lennon’s current crop of players at Parkhead are the first Celtic team ever to top a group in a European competition, and Christie expressed how the club are by no means done with the Europa League, continuing:
It’s exciting knowing we’re playing well and have the knockout stages to look forward to. We’re happy with what we’ve achieved so far but that’s by no means it over.
We have aspirations in this competition to go as far as we can so it’s really exciting when the draw comes round to see who we get. We have a lot of belief in ourselves in this competition and we believe we can go places.
Read Celtic Verdict
Celtic’s recent performances on the continental stage do suggest that they have every right to consider themselves possible winners, and if the club weren’t prepared to back themselves, what would be the point in competing?
Lennon has got this Hoops side playing good football, but he has also instilled a belief that they can take on anyone, and that is something that could carry the club forward when the opposition becomes much tougher.
