Injury-dogged at Celtic, but Patrick Roberts still dreams of making it at Manchester City

PATRICK ROBERTS chuckles as he slaps his legs and says if he didn’t have them, he wouldn’t have a future.

But the winger is deadly serious.

Still just 21 years old, the Englishman knows that as long as he stays fit, he has the chance to go back to Manchester City in the summer as a Double Treble winner.

And, even if that isn’t sufficient to force his way into what is arguably the most dominant English club side since Arsenal’s Invincibles of 2003-04, it would be sure to secure him a range of opportunities that would be the envy of the vast majority of young players in the world game.

As he said with deliberate understatement: “They are doing quite well down there, and playing some good football!

“It took that first season for the manager to get his football across, but everyone can now see that they are blowing the league away.

“Can I get into that squad? Personally, I have always believed in my ability and I always will, no matter who or what I’m up against.

“I will just carry on my football, keep enjoying it and see where it takes me.

“I have not yet thought about the summer. I’ve just been focusing on getting back fit.

“The summer will be the same as it always is.

“We will see what happens then. So far I haven’t had any conversations with Celtic or City.

“I’ve just been cracking on with my recovery, making sure both legs are in tip-top condition.

“If I didn’t have them I wouldn’t have a future so that’s been important.”

While Roberts’ future is worth safeguarding, his present is one to be savoured.

Having missed the end of Celtic’s Champions League campaign and the Europa League last 32 tie against Zenit St Petersburg through a hamstring tear, he is desperate to contribute as much as he can to the domestic run-in.

Starting, he hopes, with a run-out against Rangers at Ibrox this afternoon.

“I’m fit and healthy, and looking forward to it,” he said.

“The injury itself took quite long to clear up, so it was about getting myself back in condition.

“Hopefully I’m at that point now and can kick on.

“I had come back from the initial injury, and felt I did all right in the League Cup Final.

“Then 10 minutes in of the next match at Fir Park, I got injured again.

“I thought it was the same injury so I wasn’t too worried but then I found out it was worst.

“That disappointed me and I got upset. I got down about it. You don’t expect it.

“I’ve had previous tears, and been out for two weeks or so, and I thought it would be the same.

“To find out I would be out for three months was tough.

“I’m now just happy to be back on the pitch. The manager, my family – they all helped to lift my spirits.

“The staff here and the medical team helped me through it.

“Injuries are part of a footballer’s career, and the quicker you learn that, the quicker you deal with it.

“Now it is behind me and there is so much to look forward to.”

Specifically, Roberts hopes, a repeat of the Treble-winning finale to the campaign achieved last season.

He might only have been on loan, but he showed how much that meant to him by passing up the chance to be part of England Under-20’s bid to win the World Cup – which, of course, they did.

It is a decision he didn’t regret then, and still doesn’t now.

“It’s always exciting winning trophies. Trebles are hard to come by and we have that opportunity again,” said Roberts.

“We have to keep focused and concentrated because it could easily slip away.

“That’s for us to maintain and for the manager to put into us.

“We have a good group of lads, and will concentrate on the games coming up in the league and Scottish Cup.”