Stressed to kill

Aug 3 2008 Scott Mcdermott

SHELL-SHOCKED Andreas Hinkel admits the pressure on Celtic to win four SPL titles on the trot is like NOTHING he's ever experienced before.

The German right-back has enjoyed a successful career with clubs such as Stuttgart and Seville - as well as earning 17 caps for his country.

But as he prepared for his first full season in Scotland he revealed he has been stunned by the intensity of the demands placed on players at Celtic Park.

However, Hinkel insists he is now loving every minute of it.

He arrived in Glasgow seven months ago - after turning down a deal at Borussia Dortmund - and has settled down well into Gordon Strachan's back four. It didn't take him long, either, to discover secondbest isn't good enough in this city.

Thankfully for Hoops' fans, Hinkel thrives on that kind of pressure and is well aware of what will be required if Celtic want to retain their crown again this term.

Andreas said: "It's different at Celtic. In Seville everyone wanted to win La Liga and the Spanish Cup but it still wasn't the same as here as they're not a real, big club. In Glasgow you HAVE towin the title.

"It's the same situation in Spain with Barcelona and Real Madrid or at the big teams in England or Germany.

"When you don't win at clubs like those, or at Celtic, it's a big problem. When I was at Stuttgart it was also different. The fans had lower expectations. It was a case of 'maybe we can go for the championship but a UEFA Cup spot is OK'. Whereas for Bayern Munich it's always the title as second is not good enough and it's the same at Celtic.

"But I've settled in to the team now and the city. I found it difficult at first because there were so many things to adapt to. A new team, new club, the philosophy of Celtic's football. All of that made it hard.

"It was a huge thing to win the league last season. But it's our job to keep it, that's always the way at a big club.

"If you win three, you have to win four, five, maybe six. If you lose one you have to start all over again.

"That's the way it is and you have to be strong in the head to cope with it.

"It's not easy but the guys here have a strong mentality and are always challenging themselves.

Satisfied "Now I've got the Champions League to look forward to, which I was ineligible for last year.

"I can't wait to be involved and I'd like to draw a German team so people back home can see me again."

As he relaxed at the club's training base in Noordwijk before playing Feyenoord tonight in their Jubilee Cup pre-season tournament, Hinkel was also satisfied he'd made the right choice in signing for the club ahead of Dortmund in his homeland.

While Strachan's squad celebrated on the Tannadice pitch after clinching three-in-a-row, the Germans had just escaped a relegation dog-fight in the Bundesliga.

Hinkel said: "I could have gone to Borussia Dortmund but I'm convinced I made the right decision.

"In the Bundesliga Dortmund had to go to a play-off just to avoid relegation. Here, I'm a champion so that proves this was the right move for me.

"And it wasn't easy to win the SPL.

When I arrived we were four points behind and always seemed to be trailing Rangers.

"After we lost to Motherwell my family and friends all told me the league was over but the players didn't believe it.

"We knew we had two important games with Rangers to go and all the games at the end of the season would be close and that's the way it turned out."

Hinkel feels he still has a lot to prove again as a player - particularly to German national boss Joachim Low.

The full-back wasn't a regular at Seville due to the stunning form of Daniel Alves, who is now at Barcelona.

But Andreas, who has represented Germany from Under-15's to the senior national squad, is determined to force his way into Low's plans for the World Cup 2010 qualifiers.

He watched on as the German defence toiled for most of Euro 2008, despite Low's side reaching the final before losing to Spain. So he'd love another crack at competing with the likes of Arne Friedrich and Phillip Lahm for a place in the side.

Andreas said: "I have to convince the coach and that's difficult. It's not like athletics where you are either slower or faster than someone else.

"In football someone likes you or they don't like you, it's just a decision.

"Low hasn't picked me yet for the German side but I worked with him at Stuttgart where he was reserve team coach and I was in the youth side.

"Germany didn't play to a consistent level at the Euros. We had one good game against Portugal but somehow got to the final.

"I don't know why but other countries seemed scared when they played us.

"The defence struggled and didn't play as well as they did in qualifying.

"But that doesn't mean it will be easy to get back in the side because the full-backs are good especially when they are going forward."