SUPPORTERS may be enthralled by the nip and tuck of this season's Premiership title race to date, but Boli Bolingoli says that the Celtic players couldn't care less what Rangers are doing.
The left-back returned to the Celtic side for the win over Aberdeen after a short spell out through injury, and he praised the focus of his teammates as they responded to Rangers' impressive win against Hibernian on Friday night by restoring their five-point lead at the top.
And he says that Celtic's sole focus now is picking up three points against St Mirren on Boxing Day to ensure they go into the Old Firm fixture three days later with that advantage still intact.
"Mentally we are very strong," Bolingoli said.
"We just try to do our job you know.We try to do our job in such a way that we win every game,
"What Rangers do is good for them, but it’s not important to us. We just need to keep our position as number one and hopefully we can keep it as long as we can.
"It’s not just about Rangers. The league is 12 teams and it’s not only playing against Rangers that is important. Every single game is important, starting with St Mirren on Boxing Day.
"After that we will see what happens against Rangers, but first we must have a rest and then focus on the next game.
"The season is very long. It’s only December now, but if we can get to the winter break as number one in the league it will feel like a good plus point for us. Then we can start again refreshed for the second part of the season.
"If we have an eight point lead over Rangers [by the winter break] that will be nice, but we are not looking at that now. We are not thinking too much of that. We are just taking it game by game.
"To win every game is the most important thing to to and then, yeah, at the end we can see how many points we are in front."
Bolingoli admits he has never experienced the pressure he is under at Celtic to win every game, but he believes that is what is bringing the best out of him and the rest of his teammates.
"Not like here at Celtic," he said. "Of course it was a bit like that at Brugges. But I wasn’t playing all the time there like now for example. So this feels different.
"I actually feel more of the pressure here that we have to win every game. But I can’t complain, it feels good. As a player you want to win every game and here at Celtic we know we have to.
"Pressure is always good if it’s healthy. It can push you up and make you perform.
"You see the whole team is doing well."
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