Benjamin Nygren has admitted Celtic’s back-to-back defeats to Rangers were “extra tough” as he reflected on a difficult few weeks for Martin O’Neill’s side.
The Hoops headed into the international break on the back of three successive defeats, losing twice to their Glasgow rivals either side of a 3-1 Europa League loss to Ferencvaros.
That miserable run followed Celtic’s dramatic Champions League exit against LASK, with O’Neill’s side surrendering their advantage in Austria to drop into the Europa League.
Nygren arrived at Parkhead with ambitions of playing Champions League football and admits the manner of Celtic’s elimination has been difficult to move on from.
Nygren told Fotbollskanalen: “It’s tough of course. As a player you always want to play in the biggest tournaments and I’m looking forward to going to the Champions League so much.
“It’s extra tough especially after we missed out on penalties last year. You have to try to move on as quickly as possible. It can’t sit around for too long, but it’s difficult.
“The fans want us to play in the biggest tournaments just like we do. Of course they’ll be as disappointed as we are. But as it is, we have to try to make the best of the situation.”
The Sweden international also addressed Celtic’s recent domestic struggles, with the two Rangers losses adding to the pressure surrounding O’Neill and his players.
He said: “The last week has also been tough with three straight losses, two of which were against Rangers, which was extra tough.
“It’s been a bit up and down, but personally I’ve done very well in many games. I’ve scored a few goals and assisted.”
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