ADAM VIRGO ended three months of rehabilitation with two Old Firm derbies in three days. Celtic's GBP1.5m signing from Brighton played his first 90 minutes for the club in yesterday's 2-0 defeat against Rangers reserves at the Excelsior Stadium, Airdrie, and declared himself fit and ready for starting duty against Dunfermline at East End Park on Sunday.
Virgo made his debut as an emergency striker towards the end of Saturday's incendiary 3-1 defeat at Ibrox. Yesterday, he demonstrated his versatility by starting at right-back, moving up front in the second half, and finishing on the right side of a back three.
Gordon Strachan, the Celtic manager, had originally earmarked the Scotland future team member as a candidate for the full-back position occupied by the 34-year-old, Paul Telfer.
Virgo is likely to lead a nomadic existence in the Celtic first team for the foreseeable future, with doubts remaining over the future of Bobo Balde.
"I have played in those three positions before at Brighton so it was nothing new for me, " the 22-year-old said.
"I will have to wait and see if I am involved on Sunday. I have worked hard in training and done everything possible to try to make it difficult for the manager not to play me.
"Bobo and Mick [Stephen McManus] have been doing well and so, too, Paul [Telfer] and Mo [Camara], so I don't know what position I will have a better chance of playing in at the moment. It's the manager's decision, so I would rather not speculate. I will be happy whether I am at right back, centre back or centre forward."
The surroundings on Saturday and Monday could not have been more contrasting but while Virgo has tasted defeat twice in quick succession against Celtic's greatest rivals, the atmosphere and sense of occasion at Ibrox has left him craving more.
"I had mixed emotions after my first Old Firm game. Within 10 seconds of coming on, we gave away the penalty but just to get on the park, whether it was for 30 seconds or 90 minutes, was special because it was something I have worked hard for all my life to play in that game, " he said.
"The atmosphere was unbelievable, you could just feel the hatred between both sets of fans. I was dying to get on after the first minute and just praying the manager would look at me and say 'get stripped'."
Virgo was a curious choice as match saviour by Strachan.
His summons confirmed Strachan's dissolving faith in the high-profile recruitment of Jeremie Aliadiere on loan from Arsenal.
Virgo, though, suggested the decision was purely tactical after the earlier substitution of John Hartson.
"It was a difficult situation for the manager. I think he felt he needed another target man, whereas Jeremie likes to make runs into the channels and try to get goals from around the six-yard box, " he reasoned.
"I was just happy to get on.
Hopefully, this is just the start for me."
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