Flag day celebrations at Celtic Park have become routine in recent years but the ceremony ahead of kick-off vs St Mirren on Sunday still serves as a reminder that Celtic are the team to beat this season, despite all the noise around Brendan Rodgers’ future and his happiness with transfer activity.
“It’ll be a great day, for myself and for all the other guys,” McCowan says. “I came here hoping to help the club win the big prizes and the title win is a proud achievement. At the same time, we know we have a job to do because we want to start this league campaign off with a good performance.”
For all the talk of Celtic’s sluggishness in the summer market, it’s easy to forget that the club have actually confirmed six signings in pre-season with Manchester City defender Jahmai Simpson-Pusey set to follow shortly.
Kieran Tierney headlines the current clutch of arrivals and McCowan has been left impressed with what he’s seen from the former Arsenal man in training so far.
“He’s just as you’d imagine,” the midfielder said. “Kieran was a top, top Celtic player before he went down south and now that he’s come back up the road, he’s slotted right in again. All the qualities that made him a success are still there for everyone to see. He’s a great player.
“All the other new faces are doing well, getting used to the new environment, the playing style, and their new team-mates.
“Obviously, there’s a difference between training, pre-season friendlies and the competitive stuff. Like the rest of us, they’re looking forward to the season proper.”
McCowan is now one of the established first team group helping others feel at home, having gone through the transfer ringer himself last summer when he was still captain of Dundee.
“If you looked at a picture of me last summer and one today, there are probably fewer wrinkles on my face now,” he laughs. “The whole process is quite taxing. It’s not great when everyone is speculating about your future and you yourself don’t know where you’re going to be playing. Happily, I’m not in that position at the moment.
“I’ve been trying to help them settle in where I can. It’s not the easiest time for footballers, right after you’ve moved, so you want to do what you can.”
Transfer speculation is not something McCowan likes to indulge in as a rule. As clubs strengthen across the Scottish Premiership and speculation continues around new Celtic additions, the midfielder is watching other channels.
“I honestly don’t pay it any heed,” he explains. “I don’t watch Sky Sports transfer shows or anything like that. I know about our new signings because they come into my place of work. Honestly, the first I’ll know of some of the ones other clubs have signed will be when I come up against them in a game!
“It is just the way I prefer to do things. I like to focus on myself, my fitness, my own game and beyond that my own club. Worrying about others and what they are, or are not, doing does not come into it.”
(Image: Craig Williamson – SNS Group)
Celtic ended last season with a sluggish 1–1 draw at home to Sunday’s opponents St Mirren, a game which Stephen Robinson’s side almost won. The Paisley side make the short trip to Celtic Park on a run of three consecutive victories in the Premier Sports Cup hoping to act as spoilers for the flag day occasion.
“The lads have been speaking about that match a bit and saying it is funny to be starting with the same league game we finished off with, McCowan says. “It feels like it was only a fortnight ago we were running out to play them.”
“We were not at our best that day. They led 1-0 at half time and I came on early in the second half. James Forrest bailed us out with a late goal. That got us a draw and made everyone happy because it continued his record of scoring every season.
“For this one we’ll look to start off with a win, to get ourselves going and set a marker for what’s to come.”
Beyond domestic ambitions, there’s Europe. Seeing other clubs involved in UEFA qualifiers has sharpened Celtic’s focus ahead of their Champions League campaign, with Monday’s Play-Off Round looming.
“It’s whetted the appetite, yeah, but more just to get back into competitive action full stop,” McCowan says. “The excitement to get back has been building, at the club and for me personally, and hopefully you’ll see the positive side of that on Sunday.”
Before a ball is kicked, club legend Paul McStay will step onto the Parkhead pitch to unfurl the league flag, returning to Scotland from Australia where he currently resides. McCowan admits he will be starstruck in the presence of a midfield idol.
“It will mean a great deal, it really will,” McCowan says. “Paul retired shortly before I was born but, of course, I know all about him. He’s a Celtic legend – a one-club man who made nearly 700 appearances and won 76 caps for Scotland. When the fans voted for the greatest ever Celtic side, he was picked in centre midfield alongside Henrik Larsson, Kenny Dalglish, Jinky Johnstone, Billy McNeill, Bobby Lennox. That tells you everything you need to know.
“He’s someone that, if you’d told me when I was a kid I might meet him one day, I would have been so happy. Hopefully I will get that chance on Sunday, though I don’t know what I’ll say to him, right enough!
“He will get a tremendous reception from the fans and if he can help inspire us to get off to a flying start then so much the better.”