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The hard miles that Celtic will be calling in at Ibrox on Sunday

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It was only for 18 games but a spell at Morton last season gave Stephen Welsh the critical experience to make the breakthrough at Celtic that he had dreamed off.

This week he signed a deal keeping him at Celtic until the age of 25 but after joining the club Academy while at Primary School his stint at Cappielow provided him with some of the game time that was essential to breakthrough at his first love.

There were a few sore ones on loan at Morton, a 5-0 defeat at Inverness and 6-0 away to Dundee United in his early days but crucially he had earned the respect of his team-mates. There was no big-time attitude and tales about the high-spending team-mates he had left behind at Lennoxtown.

Back at Celtic there have been plenty of set-backs this season. A first appearance in a dismal 2-0 Derby capitulation, being left out of the 20 on duty at the Scottish Cup Final, standing in for self-isolating team-mates against Hibs and Livingston then being dropped as soon as they returned.

Since February Welsh has been an ever present in the Celtic side, on Sunday he goes to Ibrox knowing that the defence is under the spotlight- especially at set-pieces.

It’s a world away from training sessions with Morton but Brian McLean told the Daily Record about the attitude and approach that made an impact in the Cappielow dressing room.

When Stephen came to Morton, he was young, fresh and infectious. Obviously, coming from the standards that he was used to at Celtic, he maintained those standards when he came to us.

He helped lift everyone every day in and around the cub with those standards on the training pitch and how you conduct yourself away from it.

Stephen would be a quiet lad at times, but if he felt something needed to be said or he wanted to offer an opinion, he did so.

When someone talks about standards, for me, it is basic fundamentals. I’m 36 years of age and pride myself on them and small daily disciplines.

It’s about how you apply yourself in training, it’s about how you treat and speak to people, it’s about respect for team-mates and your manager.

It’s how you absorb criticism from people who are trying to help you and how you look after yourself off the pitch. The majority of people only see players in a matchday scenario, obviously.

Many don’t see what goes on behind the scenes, what you do in your house, they don’t see when you go to bed early because you are preparing for a game and the little routines.

It’s those little things that you collect to produce good performances on the pitch. Every game with us, you could see him growing and stature and confidence and that’s why you go out on loan.

With a combined age of 43 Welsh and Kris Ajer will look to lock the door at Ibrox to keep Celtic’s season alive and on course for a fifth Scottish Cup triumph.

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