Chris Jullien is looking forward to his rematch with Dame N’Doye tonight.
It might not be the box office of Tyson Fury v Deontay Wilder but the Celtic defender will treat tonight’s clash against the Copenhagen striker like a world title clash.
Jullien spent five minutes on the deck getting treatment from a late head clash with N’Doye last week but bounced back to be Celtic’s star man as the first leg match ended all-square.
Playing week in week out in the SPFL has prepared Jullien for the rough and tumble of the game, tonight with the aid of some dental work he is looking to help Celtic into the last 16 of the Europa League.
“I remember the incident,” the French defender told the Daily Record about his clash with N’Doye. “And so does my dentist. It was a bad one but when I take the field I always want to give it everything I’ve got and I had no intention of leaving my partner or the rest of my team-mates.
“We were only 10-15 minutes into the game at that stage and I had plenty of energy. I was excited about the tie and, in my head, it was impossible for me to leave the pitch.
“I lost some parts of my teeth but it’s OK. My dentist is good and it’s important that teams know we won’t be bullied. Every game’s tough but we always get up and we do that after every bad moment we have.
“If a team tries to rough us up then we’ll just keep trying to do our best, again and again.
“When there is a bit of trash talk and little things off the ball, even contact and stuff like that, to win then is more enjoyable. That’s normal, it is what it is. Every sport is the same.
“Kristoffer Ajer was talking to me about some hit he had taken but sometimes you can’t be pretty if you’re going to win.”
Jullien has been at the heart of Celtic’s Europa League effort, keeping strikers at bay and coming up with the memorable winner at home to Lazio in October.
With two bookings to his name however he knows that one more yellow card and he’ll have to serve a UEFA suspension.
