Chris Killen claims he can score a "barrow-load of goals" for Celtic if he is given a decent run in the team. The New Zealand internationalist has had a frustrating season but is desperate to get a run of games behind him which he claims would help him recapture the prolific form that briefly took him to the top of the goalscoring charts last season.
Killen claimed 15 goals for Hibernian last season before his campaign was cut short by injury in January. The striker was a surprise inclusion against Benfica in the Champions League last week and was handed another starting slot against Motherwell at the weekend, when they won 3-0, but he dropped out of the side in Celtic's 2-0 defeat by Hearts on Wednesday night, as Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink returned to the fray.
"If I can get a run of games, and with the chances created at Celtic, then I could score a barrowload of goals," claimed Killen, speaking at a Clydesdale Bank Premier League event to promote Glasgow's Commonwealth Games bid, which will be voted on next Friday. "I scored 15 goals last season. I have had a couple of starts, but I think you need half-a-dozen to 10 games to get full match fitness.
"It is hard in that sense, so I have to do a bit of extra work and running. You can run every day, but when you are thrown into a game it is a totally different fitness. It has been tough and stop-start for me so far."
Killen was unable to hide his disappointment at missing out on Wednesday's defeat to Hearts, though the uninspired performance of Vennegoor of Hesselink suggests he may soon get another opportunity to establish himself.
"I am always disappointed when I am not playing," he admitted. "I thought I had a good game at the weekend against Motherwell. You know in yourself whether you have had a good game or not. I think that is the same for every player.
"There are a good two or three players for every position at Celtic, apart from the right-back position. The depth of the squad and expectations at the club are all different from clubs like Oldham and Hibs.
"It is the manager's decision as to who he prefers. If it is Jan one week, then I just have to get my head down and work hard and hope I do get my chance."
Killen is not at the stage of knocking on manager Gordon Strachan's door, but will be forced to take stock of his situation in the longer term if he is unable to break up the McDonald-Hesselink partnership.
"The frontline has been mixed up a bit this season, with one up front at times. But, as it stands just now, he Strachan does favour Jan with Scott McDonald. It does make you think, but all I can do is keep myself fit, work hard and try to do that bit extra which will make me better when I do get the chance.
"It is a different fight for me at Celtic. Before, I was one of the first on the teamsheet and now I have to fight to get on it. It keeps me on my toes and hopefully should make me a better player. You have to look at the big picture and look after yourself. If you keep yourself fit and if things don't happen here, then you move on and do well elsewhere."
Killen came on for the last 18 minutes of Wednesday's CIS Insurance Cup quarter-final loss, but was helpless to prevent the concession of two late goals. "The manager was a bit angry with a few things we should have done better, but it was disappointing for every-one. We all wanted to progress and to try to win the cup.
"We had chances and if we had taken them, we could have won quite comfortably. We were at home and the players knew we should have beaten Hearts. We now have to put that behind us and concentrate on the league, Scottish Cup and Europe."
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