Kevin van Veen says Motherwell took a point from Celtic Park because they had the balls to have a go.
The Dutch striker’s 55th-minute strike, latching onto a long Callum Slattery ball and jinking past Greg Taylor before lashing a shot past Joe Hart, equalised Callum McGregor’s deflected first-half opener, and earned the Steelmen an unlikely point.
Van Veen, who netted his 24th goal of an impressive season in the Parkhead draw, says he had a feeling he would get a chance just like the one he put away.
But he says credit goes to boss Stuart Kettlewell for setting them up in such an adventurous way.
“I think you need to be respectful in a certain way, because they’re that good, they’re such good footballers, they have an amazing gaffer, the crowd, the venue, everything is amazing here,” he said.
“But for me, personally, you need to have a pair of balls. You need to come here and not be scared, because if you get scared they will roll you over.
“They smell if you’re scared, and I think if you have the ball you have to be trying things and to put them on the back-foot.
“Then sometimes they will create gaps, there will be chances, and that’s what I thought.
“Every time I got the ball I thought ‘I’m going to try something’ because I can easily lay it back, but that’s boring and I need to go the other way.
“To have a really good structure as the gaffer has set us up, everything worked out the way we wanted it to be.”
Van Veen added: “I think we deserved it, to be fair.
“This was a victory for us, that’s how it felt.
“I think we limited them, and that’s the best team in this league by a country mile, for me.
“We were lurking on one chance, got it, and I’ve put it away.
“How we set up wasn’t always pretty, but what do you want to do against Celtic?
“I think we deserved a point, and it’s a great feeling that we’ve come here and not been rolled over.
“I was lurking for that chance, because I felt like I could take them on when I had the ball at my feet.
“In my head I was thinking ‘stay calm, stay composed’ because it’s going to go somewhere. I was one v one, and I always back myself against anybody.
“I ended up against Taylor and thought ‘this is my moment to take him on’, showed him left and right and slotted it past Joe Hart, who is an amazing keeper.
“It was an amazing feeling. I was waiting for that moment and it came.”
Van Veen is closing in on 30 goals for the season and has Celtic ace Kyogo in his sights, but acknowledged how good his rival is.
He said: “Kyogo is the best striker in the league, the man with most brains for me. He’s clever, and I’m trying to put pressure on.
“With all due respect, Kyogo is amazing, but I need to look after myself as well.
“I have five more games and I have 24 goals. I said 30 and everybody laughed at me, so it will be good when I hit the 30 and I rub everybody’s noses in it!
“I will definitely make sure that’s going to happen, because I feel good and I just need to keep trying hard for the team.
“I want to be important, with the gaffer it feels like a big family, and that’s what the gaffer put into this team.
“We fight for each other, we’re doing everything so good, so if I put the goals in it means I’m helping the team, and that’s the most important thing, for me.”
On Kettlewell’s preparation, van Veen said: “In my opinion we are very lucky to have this man for the job. He’s such a good manager, he’s so detailed and professional, he knows everything.
“If you ask every singe lad in that dressing room they’ll say he is amazing. He prepares us so well.”
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