Aberdeen forward Ryan Hedges thinks the next three games could be important for his Euro hopes
The closure of Scottish football gave Hedges the opportunity to reflect on his career and start his campaign to be part of the European Championship squad in Wales
Creative dynamo Hedges, 25, has been superb for the Dons since the Premiership started in August, after being largely out of sight last season
The Welshman, who joined Aberdeen from Barnsley two summers ago to boost his Dragons’ chances, now hopes he is on track to land a first cap since March 2019 as Wales qualifies for Euros postponed and preparing for group matches against Italy, Switzerland and Turkey
Hedges ‘last call to the national team came in November when a 2-0 win over Hungary in Cardiff sealed Ryan Giggs’ side’s move to the final
Despite his performances this quarter, Hedges knows he must continue to deliver eye-catching displays, especially in tomorrow’s Pittodrie league meeting with Celtic and the 2019 Scottish Cup semi-final / 20 delayed with the Hoops next weekend in Hampden
He said: « I hope I can keep going, keep performing and keep contributing to the team’s victories because that’s what matters
« The difference for me now is that I had a streak of games when I started well last season, but for some reason they ended up out of the side
« I couldn’t really come back in full force after this, but the break turned out to be a good thing for me personally
« I wouldn’t have liked it to have been so long, but it was nice to be able to refresh the batteries and see where I was in my career
« It has allowed me to attack this season with confidence and optimism and it is paying off at the moment
« You have to have motivation inside and each season I set myself a few goals and the goal is to make the Euro team
« That was the goal when I signed here and the gaffer knew it and of course the postponement of the contest means it remains an incentive now
« I hope I can win a few trophies along the way to Aberdeen which would be great and help me make the Wales squad
« I haven’t heard anything about this lately, but it’s obvious that two games against Celtic and then Hibs before the international break is a great game to show me »
Aberdeen beat Hamilton 4-2 midweek and only lost twice in the league – to Rangers and Motherwell – in a clash with Celtic that could see them tie their visitors on points
Hedges believes the Dons will start the teams’ double header game opener on a high
He said: “With the form we are in, we all enter the game with confidence. We are playing very good things and getting results We just have to integrate that into the game on Sunday
« Personally, I’m desperate to play because I never had that opportunity last season, so it’s a good thing to test myself against the champions »
A win tomorrow would see Aberdeen claim the title of Premiership title contender alongside Rangers and Celtic this season
He said: « If you look deeply at the strength we have, there are two players for each position who could start each week.
« There is no drop in the level of performance for any player this season, but it is not a guarantee that you will keep your place
« It just shows the friendly competition we have in the team and the level of training has been really good
« Everyone is looking forward to being part of the starting lineup and even those who are not among the 20 registered for the matches are still very good players
« After all, Sam Cosgrove, Curtis Main, Mikey Devlin and Matty Kennedy are just fit enough to be available for selection again
« This shows which standard the manager should choose and you will notice the difference »
Celtic have been criticized for their game this season under Neil Lennon and entered tomorrow’s game on the back of losses to Rangers last weekend and Italian giants AC Milan on Thursday
However, Hedges is unwilling to admit sensing the opportunity to register Pittodria’s first victory over the Champions since 2016
He said: « The last two results don’t really reflect their season as they are a very good team
« Any team coming up against a quality team like AC Milan would be ready for a tough game right now
« The important thing for us is to focus on ourselves, to keep doing what we are doing and to get the right result »
For as little as £ 5.99 per month you can access all of our content, including Premium items
Aberdeen Football Club, Celtic FC, Ryan Hedges, Wales National Football Team, Scottish Premiership, Rangers FC, Hibernien FC
World News – GB – Ryan Hedges d ‘Aberdeen believes Celtic, Hibs game could be chance to claim Wales ahead of Euro – Evening Express
SOURCE: https://www.w24news.com
