Matthews wants starting role

Celtic defender Adam Matthews is targeting a regular starting place in Neil Lennon's team next season.

Wales international hopes he will be ready for the start of SPL term

Celtic defender Adam Matthews is targeting a regular starting place in Neil Lennon's team next season. The 20-year-old joined the club last year from Championship side Cardiff and has been locked in a battle with Cha Du-Ri and Mark Wilson for the right-back slot. However, these players are no longer at Celtic Park and that has left the route to the first team less congested for the Wales international. "I feel like I established myself in the squad last year so hopefully I can do it again this season," Matthews said.

Welcome

"Last year the boys made me feel welcome straight away so I didn't really feel like the new boy but I've been with them for a year now so I'm a bit more comfortable." Matthews has travelled with the Celtic squad for the pre-season tour of Germany despite suffering from a small hamstring problem, which he hopes to recover from soon. He added: "Hopefully it won't keep me out too long. I started running today so hopefully I'll be back in full training at the end of the week or the start of next week. "It's more about football fitness at this time of the year. Last week we did a lot of running but this week we're here and we can get some work done on the pitch."