Celtics’ Paulo Bernardo shares optimism as he speaks out from international camp.

Paulo Bernardo has returned to Celtic with a vengeance and will be looking to build on his impressive Glasgow Derby performance last weekend.

The Portugal Under-21 international returned to the club permanently in the summer for £3.5 million and is expected to play a key role in the engine room following Matt O’Riley’s departure.

Bernardo’s composed performances against St Mirren and Rangers have put him in a good position to continue his career after the international break. The carrot of participation in the Champions League has set the stage for him to make a significant impact.

Arne Engels and Luke McCowan will provide stiff competition after being drafted in over the summer, but the Benfica academy graduate’s familiarity with Brendan Rodgers means he is a known quantity in the side.

Speaking from his international camp as the Selecao prepares to face Croatia Under-21’s this evening, Bernardo expressed confidence that they will achieve the desired result.

Paulo Bernardo speaks from the international camp.

Portugal Under-21s travel to Croatia needing three points to stay top of Group G in Euro 2025 qualifying, and Bernardo is confident they will pass the test despite anticipating a ‘difficult’ match.

He stated [Record]: “They have to play to win, and here in the national team we always play to win. I think it’s going to be a good game of football, in which both teams will want to win.

“We know that because we’re playing away, because the Croatian team has made a lot of changes and has a new coach, that it’s going to be a different game and probably a lot more difficult. I think they’ll be a bit more aggressive at home than they were in Faro, but we have to win the game and we’ll do our best to achieve that.”

Later, he said, “We’ve been improving with every game. The team has changed since the last European Championship and the first few games are always a bit more difficult because the players don’t have any routine. Now it’s getting easier and the group has become more and more united. We can only improve and we’re going to give a positive response in the next game.”

Paulo Bernardo will benefit from the international runout.

Match fitness is essential at this point in the season, and Bernardo’s inclusion tonight can only be a positive for Celtic.

Undoubtedly, he is an energetic presence at the best of times, but more minutes will improve his decision-making and mental clarity on the pitch.

Rodgers will be eager to see what he can accomplish during his second spell. Bernardo’s dominant performance against the Rangers last weekend was, hopefully, a preview of what to expect this season.

Finally, Celtic will hope he passes the test unscathed, as will any player on international duty.

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