Luke McCowan Attributes Strong Start to Mindset Coach

Celtic player Luke McCowan has credited his “mindset coach” with assisting his rapid adaptation to the club, following a goal he scored that contributed to Celtic’s win at Fir Park. The midfielder, who made his Champions League debut last midweek by entering as a substitute to help Brendan Rodgers’ team secure a point against Atalanta, subsequently scored his second goal for the club during his initial start in Sunday’s 3-0 Premiership victory over Motherwell. The 26-year-old McCowan stated, “You’ve got to stay calm. It’s something I want to be doing. It’s not as if I’ve won the lottery to get a start. You’ve got to work hard to get that.” He further explained, “I was saying that to my mindset coach the other day, it was just a case of being frustrated about not playing and it means you’re doing something well. And I was.” Regarding his recent opportunity to start, he added, “And then to get the nod to start shows the manager’s got a bit of trust in me and I need to go and prove I deserve a start and I think I’ve done well enough to do that.” He concluded by reflecting on the game, “It went about as smoothly as I could have hoped. A 3-0 victory. It’s good to just be out there and helping the team get the three points and having an impact on the game.” McCowan’s professional relationship with his mindset coach commenced during his time at Dundee. He elaborated, “I worked with him for maybe six months before I came here, and I knew when I came here that I’m going to need to keep him, because it’s going to be a different kind of a situation.” Describing their regular interactions, he noted, “Me and him speak all the time. It’s just kind of like having a conversation with your dad or your uncle, but a lot more professional about it and he’s been really good for me.” He also shared, “I’ve worked hard to get here, I’ve been told by numerous people at the club that once you’re here it’s about showing you deserve to be here and I’m not going to get all excited.” Given that captain Callum McGregor is uncertain to play due to a hip strain, McCowan might encounter his former team-mates when Dundee visits Celtic Park on Wednesday night. The 26-year-old expressed his eagerness, stating, “Cannot wait,” and added, “Obviously off the back of that [game] as well, it’ll be nice hopefully.”