O'Dea sets short-term goals

Darren O’Dea will just go from game to game as he looks to establish himself in the heart of the Celtic defence.

After returning from an unsuccessful loan spell at Reading in January, the 23-year-old Republic of Ireland defender struggled to find a regular place as manager Tony Mowbray continued to chop and change his starting XI.

But injuries in recent weeks have given O’Dea another chance, and his partnership with 19-year-old Josh Thompson has resulted in Celtic keeping three clean sheets in a row for the first time in two years.

The Irishman is determined to keep his place even when Glenn Loovens, Jos Hooiveld and Thomas Rogne return from injury.

Ahead of tonight’s Clydesdale Bank Premier League trip to St Mirren, O’Dea said: “I don’t think there are many players at the club who have the divine right to be in the team.

“You are playing in every game to keep your place for the next game.

“You don’t look too far ahead and I think every player is thinking like that.

“But the longer I can keep my place in the team, the more I become a regular.”

O’Dea, who came through the youth ranks at Parkhead, does not believe that Hooiveld and Rogne will have an advantage because they have been bought by Mowbray.

“We are all Tony Mowbray’s players,” he said. “He might have signed them but he doesn’t give us that impression that just because he signed them, they are going to play.

“I don’t feel under pressure for that, I do feel under pressure because there are top players behind me and they are more than capable of doing a job.

“At the moment I am in the team and that’s all that matters. We have had three clean sheets in a row and we need to keep doing that and if we do then no-one can take me out of the team.”

St Mirren, recovering from their Co-operative Insurance Cup final defeat to nine-man Rangers at Hampden on Sunday, will have to stifle Celtic’s on-loan striker Robbie Keane who has scored nine goals in nine games since arriving from Tottenham in the summer.

Saints skipper John Potter, though, is looking forward to pitting himself against the Republic of Ireland star.

“Keane is one of the best,” Potter said.

“He’s proven that down south and abroad and with the Republic of Ireland in international tournaments, so it will be a test, we know that.

“He is a superb footballer, quick and sharp and he is also very clever.

“He knows that if there are one or two defenders concentrating on him then there will be space for others elsewhere so I don’t think you can concentrate just on him.

“But they have a goal threat in other parts of the team so will see how we get on.”