AT the end of last season, with his contract winding down, it appeared unlikely that Anthony Ralston would be in the Celtic squad come the start of the new campaign, let alone their starting right-back.

Having been handed a 12-month extension and an opportunity to impress by his new manager Ange Postecoglou though, Ralston has grasped what many saw as his last chance to make the grade at Celtic with both hands.

As a Celtic fan himself, Ralston isn’t surprised that speculation over the summer has focused heavily on who will be brought in to replace him, and he fully expects another right-back to join the club in short order.

Whether that be Josip Juranovic, the Croatian full-back who Celtic are keen on signing from Legia Warsaw, or anyone else of a similar pedigree, Ralston is hoping that his performances of late have sent out a clear message that he won’t be giving up his shirt without an almighty fight.

“It’s healthy,” Ralston said. “You need competition in every position.

“It’s important. That’s the way it is. You look forward to having competition as well.

“I welcome the challenge, for sure. It’s important for every position that you have competition and that’s what keeps you on your toes and on top form all the time. That’s really important to have in a team. It’s a positive to help the team.

“I’ve been given my opportunity and it’s up to me to take it. From the start of pre-season into the opening games, it was down to me to take the opportunity and it still is.

“I’ll never be settled. I’ll always strive to be better in everything that I do.

“That’s what I’m going to be continuing to be doing.”

The payoff for every Celtic supporter who makes the jump from the terraces to the pitch is that they are also keenly in tune with the thoughts of their fellow fans. Ralston is all too aware that he has had his critics.

He also knows that the only way he can prove any remaining doubters wrong is by retaining a single-mindedness that has served him well since pre-season.

“It’s just about focusing on what I can do to help the team on a daily basis and what I can do better myself,” he said.

“I need to take every opportunity that I can get. I’m a Celtic fan and if I wasn’t playing for Celtic, I’d be coming to all the games and supporting them. So I’m really pleased to be in this position. It’s a dream of mine.

“Every game and every opportunity I get I’ll give my all and do my best for the club. That’s all I strive to do.

“It’s the best support in the world. I just want to try my best and I will keep continuing to do that.”

While few would have foreseen the vast strides Ralston has made in recent weeks, even fewer would have had him down as a regular goal threat. And a scorer of spectacular goals, at that.

His wonderful solo effort against Hearts on the opening day of the league campaign was backed up by another lovely touch and finish in the rout of Dundee, and he admits that his attacking play was something he needed to brush up on.

That has been helped by the influence of Postecoglou, with his full-backs often coming inside and playing an active role in Celtic’s progression with the ball, a role Ralston says he is relishing.

“The gaffer’s come in and he’s implemented how he wants the team to play,” he said. “I think we’ve all took to it really well.

“From a personal point of view, I’m really enjoying a slightly different role to what I’m used to, in terms of coming inside and finding myself in more attacking areas.

“That’s obviously helped grow my confidence. I can get into areas where I can produce a finish. I think it’s had a massive impact on how those goals have come about.

“It’s a part of my game that was needing improved, that kind of final third area. It’s something that I work on in training and also my deliveries into the box.

“So, it’s nice to come up with a goal or two. The main thing from that is I’m contributing to the team in a positive way, helping to get results.

“It’s not about me, but of course from a personal point of view it’s always nice to get a goal. It doesn’t come round often.”