Hartson eyes goals target
Celtic forward John Hartson has set his sights on a new goalscoring target after finally being awarded his 50th strike for the Hoops.
The Welsh international was finally awarded his goal after Rangers defender Zura Khizanishvili was originally credited with an own goal at Ibrox at the weekend.
Hartson has also received the Welsh Footballer of the Year trophy but insists he will enjoy the accolades when his career is over.
He told www.celticfc.net: “Individual awards are nice and it does mean a lot that so many people voted for me, but it is one of those things that I probably won’t appreciate until I finish playing.
“hat’s when I can look back on it and enjoy it, but just now things are going so well with Wales and Celtic that I am loving my football.
“Only myself and Mark Hughes have won the award three times which is a nice achievement, but at this moment in time I am more concerned about getting Wales to Euro 2004 and keeping Celtic at the top of the league.
“It was great to reach the landmark on Saturday, but now I want 100.
“I have definitely made it my target and I think it achievable. Of course, you can’t legislate for injuries or suspensions and you don’t know what might be around the corner in football.
“I netted 24 goals in my first season here after taking a while to establish myself in the team and get off my mark, and last season I got 25.
“I have another two years to go on my current contract and if I keep scoring then I can get to 100.”
But Hartson believes the deflection off Khizanishvili made up for the run of ill fortune which had dogged his recent performances in Old Firm games.
He added: “I had enough bad luck against Rangers in the past and hopefully that is me getting the rub of the green now.
“I had a couple of clear-cut goals chopped off against them and I missed the penalty at Hampden in the final minute of the CIS Insurance Cup Final, but all that is gone now.
“I was a bit fortunate with the goal and I have already admitted that I had intended to cross for Henrik (Larsson), but in my book the benefit of the doubt always goes to the striker and I’m definitely taking the goal.
“I think the bookies have paid out on it now – I didn’t have myself on, but a few of my mates did which was nice.
“I know that the fans look upon the goals in Old Firm games as the big ones, up there with the European strikes, and it is something that players in the past have suffered from if they haven’t done it in the derby games.
“I am very pleased but there is still a lot more to come from me. It just shows you how things can change in football – it wasn’t so long ago that people were saying Rangers held the Indian sign over us.”
