YOU may not think that any member of the Celtic squad, with the prospect of being involved not only in the Scottish season’s showpiece occasion but also having the opportunity to play a part in clinching the final part of an unprecedented ‘treble Treble’, would have anywhere better to be than Hampden on May 25th. Depending upon the wants of USMNT under-20s head coach Tab Ramos though, that may very well be the case for Timothy Weah.
The striker, already a full international with the USA, has been mooted for inclusion in the American side which will travel to Poland for this summer’s under-20 World Cup. Their opening match comes the day before the Scottish Cup final, when they face Ukraine.
The decision will likely not be Weah’s over whether he is to be in Glasgow or Bielsko-Biala, but there is little doubt over where he would rather be.
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“The most important thing is the team and I’m going to be here for them,” Weah said, before backtracking slightly. “Hopefully I’ll be here for them because I have the World Cup coming up and we have to discuss that with the clubs and the national team.
“I didn’t know about it until I saw it in the media. I don’t know what’s going on. I guess the club has to discuss with the national team.
“I would love to play in in the cup final but it’s a World Cup as well. It’s up to the club and the national team to discuss on which one is better. It’s going to be my first Scottish Cup final, so it would be good to be a part of that.
“The other cups that I won I wasn’t really a part of and this is my first time being a part of something and hopefully winning a medal. It’s a great feeling, it’s an honour. It’s going to give me a lot of confidence that I have this experience.
“It’s always amazing to break records and this team has been amazing so far. I’m just happy to be a part of the club and happy to be a part of the experience. I’m happy to potentially be a player who could be written down in the history books. It’s a feeling I’ve never felt before so it’s wonderful.
“I feel like [the treble Treble] is an honour because it’s never been done. To be a part of the team that does it would be amazing. I thank God for blessing us so much and we have the opportunity to finish the season and become a historic team.”
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If Weah does make it to Hampden, he does in fact have a little cup pedigree to lean back on. The 19-year-old scored as his parent club Paris Saint Germain stormed to victory in the French Super Cup last August.
“My last final was against Monaco in the Trophee des Champions for PSG which I scored in as well,” he said.
“It was my first professional final that I ever played in, so it went well, scoring a goal too. To be on the pitch with such good players was amazing.
“I’ve played in a couple of finals with the youth teams, so I know how the pressure can be especially when you’re playing for a top team. The pressure can be on because we’re forced to play. We’re playing Hearts in the final, but I feel like we’ll get the job done.”
Getting the job done may as well have been the mantra for Celtic since the return of Neil Lennon as interim manager, although they added a little bit of style to go with the substance of his record when sweeping aside Aberdeen in last weekend’s Scottish Cup semi-final.
For Weah, there was never any doubt that the Celtic players would be equipped to handle events even as dramatic as the sudden departure of former manager Brendan Rodgers.
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“The team are professionals and we know that whatever happens outside of the field happens and we have to stay focused and we have to focus on winning the league and getting cups and doing it for the supporters,” he said.
“The guys have been extremely professional and the captain has led us the right way. We’re just going step by step and we’re into the final now so we need to finish the job, win the league early and just finish the final well.”
If they do finish the season in such a manner, it would seem like the perfect ending to Weah’s short spell in Scotland before heading back to chase his dream of becoming a regular at PSG. But with time very much on his side, he hasn’t ruled out a return to these shores to continue his football education.
“It’s been great,” he said. “I’ve taken every moment that I can stretch out. I’ve got a couple of starts and a couple of goals which I was looking for when I came here. I’m gaining experience and playing with a great group of guys.
“It’s been amazing so far. Hopefully we finish the season the way we want to and hopefully I can have a season to remember.
“It’s really up to the family [whether I come back]. We just have to discuss and see what opportunity is best for my career and my future. Who knows? There’s always a possibility. Right now I’m just focused on finishing the season and getting the cup.”
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