No place like home for Celtic striker Tony Watt

Tony Watt feels that his season-long loan at Lierse in Belgium has improved him as a footballer and matured him as a person.

The 20-year-old striker has returned to Celtic, determined to force his way into new boss Ronny Deila’s first team after some controversial times under Stanley Menzo at Lierse.

He feels the next two months will be vital, and has even moved out of the house he lived in alone to move back in with his parents, Paul and Lucy.

Watt said: “Over in Belgium, living away from my family, it gave me a lot of time to reflect. I wanted to better myself as a footballer. I feel I’m now mentally and physically ready for the challenge ahead.

“I enjoyed two weeks off at the end of the season and now I’m fully focused on being in the best possible shape for the start of pre-season.

“My dad has grounded me. He has told me to get to the gym every day. To eat well. He has been cooking me healthy meals. So has mum.

“Dad wants me to stay on the straight and narrow. He is giving me good advice and I have other good people around me.

“I got myself a house during my time at Celtic and maybe I wasn’t ready to live on my own. I then had no choice but to do that when I was in Belgium.”

Watt hopes all negativity about him can be erased, including the unflattering headings during his time in Belgium.

He said: “I have to take some of the blame for certain things that happened. But I don’t want to dwell on things. I just felt it wasn’t right to let certain people run over the top of me. I had to stand up for myself.

“Maybe I’m not the best trainer. But I’m not lazy. However, I accept there are improvements I need to make to take my game to the next level.

“I spoke to a few of the boys over there and a few of the team had problems with the manager. He was a hard person to deal with.

“Every time I approached him, and tried to reason with him, he would tell me to go away and that he didn’t want to speak to me.

“That kind of thing was all new to me. So, again, it was all part of the learning process and how to try and deal with different coaches and managers. That, hopefully, will have made me a stronger and wiser person.

“My goals ratio in Belgium was very good. I also believe the Belgian top league is stronger and a slightly better standard than the SPFL Premiership. I never played as many games as I wanted to but, overall, it was good.”

Watt faces immediate competition from Leigh Griffiths, Anthony Stokes, Teemu Pukki and Amido Balde for a place in the Celtic team under Deila. But he seems up for the challenge.

Watt said: “I don’t want to be looked upon as one of the young boys. I want an even chance, same as every one of the senior players.

“I’ve scored goals at every level from the top flight in Scotland to the top flight in Belgium and into the Champions League against Barcelona. I am ready to give 100%.”