Ki: No pressure on Celtic

Ki Sung-yueng looks forward to playing pressure-free football for the first time this season when Celtic travel to Motherwell on Sunday.

After winning the Clydesdale Bank Premier League title at Kilmarnock on April 7, the Parkhead side were brought back to earth on Sunday when they were knocked out of the William Hill Scottish Cup at the semi-final stage by Hearts at Hampden.

The South Korean is looking to get back to winning ways at Fir Park and believes the absence of tension, which comes from having already wrapped up the championship, will allow the champions to play with freedom.

“We don’t have any pressure now and I think the players will be more comfortable so maybe we can play with a bit more comfort,” the midfielder told the club’s official website.

“It´s never easy in away games but if we are focused on the game we should win it.

“I was very pleased to win the league and become the champions.

“It was my first-ever league title in my career so it was a huge moment for me and an honour.

“But we will keep working. The season is not finished. Even though we’re disappointed (about the Hearts game) we still have these games left.

“We will stick together and keep working just as a champion team should do.”

Manager Neil Lennon will use the remaining games to utilise his squad and blood some of the younger players.

Ki believes young players such as Dylan McGeouch, Filip Twardzik and Andre Blackman will benefit from the opportunity.

“I think they deserve a chance to play which will be a great experience for the younger boys,” he said.

“There are a lot of good young players in the squad. They have very good qualities even though they are young, so there is good potential here.”