Lukasz Zaluska believes he has a 50-50 chance of usurping friend and Poland team-mate Artur Boruc as Celtic number one before the start of the season.
The former Dundee United goalkeeper was unveiled as a Celtic player on Monday after signing a pre-contract agreement with the club in December. Although Zaluska was signed by Gordon Strachan, he feels he has a good chance of winning the race to start the season in goal now that new manager Tony Mowbray has wiped the slate clean.
"I have to prove to the manager that I`m a good goalkeeper and the chances are equal right now," Zaluska said. "The competition is really fierce."
He continued: "Of course, no-one wants to be a number two. With every training session, I want to prove I deserve to play the game, and the competition can only be beneficial for the club."
Mowbray has yet to hold lengthy talks with Zaluska but the former West Brom boss has already had a heart-to-heart with Boruc, who endured a difficult campaign last season.
Boruc began the season surrounded by speculation over a move to the likes of AC Milan and Arsenal following his impressive displays at Euro 2008. But he admitted that personal problems affected his game as he made several high-profile blunders.
Zaluska, a team-mate of Boruc at Legia Warsaw when the pair were both trying to break into the first team as youngsters, is unconcerned that the man who signed him has since departed.
"It doesn't make any difference," the 27-year-old said. "The new manager is watching all the players and every player has to show 100% of his capabilities."
While Boruc has not played for Poland since that defeat in Belfast in March, Zaluska started last month`s 1-0 friendly defeat by South Africa. But he does not feel that moving to Celtic will affect his international prospects under Leo Beenhakker, if he has to play understudy to Boruc.
"Recently I have heard he (Beenhakker) is really glad we are both at one club because we`ll be influencing each other, and it will be really beneficial for both Celtic and Poland," Zaluska said.
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I've never used any of those excuses.
While we all want what's best for our clubs it's time we stopped thinking good players are choking to play in Scotland and are willing to turn down huge salaries to play in the spl.
Good on Fortune for turning down bigger money though.
just aim a little higher, thats all im saying, and stop making excuses like theres a credit crunch, or the moneys not there, yes it is.
You'd think they are trying to ruin our club or something eh?
Everyone know's there are players who can sell their value in shirt sales on every corner.
hey Frankie, i know a girl that told me he's got a tiny one at the other end.
zaluska? Celtic are supposed to be a massive club with world appeal, so they keep telling us, so why, when real madrid are buying Ronaldo for 80,000,000, man utd getting Owen on a free, are we getting Zaluska? im not expecting Celtic to spend 80,000,000 but when real spent that, they weren't just buying a footballer, they were buying a product that would make them a fortune without even kicking a ball, gascoin made rangers a fortune just by signing, why dont Celtic buy a product who can play but will make them a return even if he didn't play? thats the secret, buying cheap and getting a great return rarely works these days, except for Larsson, when Larsson came to Celtic he was little known, Barcelona and Man U both took a short spell of him after that, knowing he could bank them a fortune before kicking a ball, Celtic need to think like that, Zaluska? maybe a wee boy somewhere will get a goalie top for his birthday with Zaluska on the back, while 100s of thousands will be buying a Madrid top with Ronaldo on the back, wouldn't surprise me if Madrid got their money back before a ball was kicked, not a bad deal after all, that's the way Celtic must think, and stop this bargain basement mentality.
i hear that davejones 19etc has a terribly large male reproductive organ. it's such a shame its on the end of his neck.
Instead of striking fear into people, by saying "AH'M GONNAE CHIB YOU!", do you get the zippo at the ready, and threaten them with "AH'M GONNAE HEAT YOU UP A WEE BIT WI' MAH ZIPPO!!.."
3 - every celtic supporter should be burned alive... Have you seen the price of petrol these days, mate? Or, instead of carrying a flick-knife, do you stoat aboot the place wi' a zippo lighter, half-wit!!
DJ THE LAST SOUND YOU WILL HEAR WILL BE YOUR NAME
Hey Davey Jones , your rant reminds me of the term , " lend me your brain for a bit as I`m building an Idiot "
wake up on the wrong side of yer coffin this morning davey bhoy?
Re Dave Jones -- Your rant shows up your lack of a formal education ( sitting in a drug laden den with your fellow junkies doesnt count ) .
The lack of proper grammar and spelling would indicate the single day you attended school was the day they were doing talks on drug abuse and didn't cover english language that day, or did your school ever do any proper education ?
I pity you and the future you have serving burgers and fried egg rolls in some little van on an industrial estate smelling of dead cow meat. Remember to get some training on the art of making a cup of tea before you start !
I hope all your aspirations come to you as you deserve every one of them.
Nae bother davejones blah blah blah. HAIL HAIL to ya
all you ceptic supporters are low life scum, fu%k&ng animals, does any of you work ? are you all unemployed ? you bunch of fu%^ing minks, does any of you own any clothes apart from your shell suit bottoms you low life foul scum, every one of you deserves to di e a slow painful de ath, your are all a cancer in society, your mothers are scu m for bringing such vermin into the world, you fu$c%ing disease ridden pieces of sh%t^e, someone should blow up the piggery on a saturday afternoon and ki l l 60k of you dirty trash, i hope you all fu&c%ing die of cancer, scum scum pigs, and singing ginger,stevejones,jinky boy and sherbet-d if i ever get my hands on you bunch of low life s @#$% i will slit all your throats you fu&&king animals, every septic supporter should be burned alive, your a disease in society
So long Zaluska. Hope you enjoy your time in the bench at Darkheid.
OTRAS
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