CELTIC’s Cameron Carter-Vickers was part of the United States World Cup squad, making one start in the competition for the side.
Before flying to Qatar, American President Joe Biden, who chose ‘Celtic’ as his Secret Service code name, held a meeting with the national side.
Reflecting on the conference call, Carter-Vickers was bizarrely asked to compare the President and his manager Ange Postecoglou. The defender joking the Aussie had greater tactical knowledge while admitting the pair motivated him for the tournament.
“We knew. We didn’t really know for a long time in advance to be fair but when we went into the meeting room we knew he was going to be on the call. Any time you see people, especially people like that, supporting you it definitely gives you a boost.
“They’re slightly different (Biden and Postecoglou). I’d say Ange’s probably have a bit more tactical knowledge of football! But they‘re both obviously two motivational people who you can take stuff from.”
[The Glasgow Times]
Before the tournament, Carter-Vickers had a billboard in his dad’s home town addressed to him, wishing him luck for the upcoming World Cup while joking about his eligibility to play for the US.
His friends and family visited the billboard, taking pictures of it. It was a surreal moment for the player, who’s made himself a vital starter for Ange Postecoglou.
“That’s where my dad is from. He still lives there. Anything that can build support for the team, it can only be positive and some of them were quite funny.
“I’m not sure if dad went to look at the billboard himself but he said he had friends and family who sent him pictures but Baton Rouge is quite a big place.”
“I go out to see him or sometimes he’ll come over here. But growing up I went out there quite a lot.
I have good memories from those days going there when I was younger, spending time with family.“The whole of my dad’s side of the family is over there – cousins, aunties, uncles, stuff like that.
“They really got into the World Cup. I talk to my dad regularly anyway but he and the rest of the family were watching the games together.”
When the next World Cup comes around, Carter-Vickers will hopefully be a regular starter for the side.
