Massimo Donati believes his Celtic career has been resurrected by the arrival of new boss Tony Mowbray.
Italian reveals U-turn in fortunes at Parkhead
Massimo Donati believes his Celtic career has been resurrected by the arrival of new boss Tony Mowbray.
The Italian midfielder endured a miserable time at Parkhead under former manager Gordon Strachan and revealed his desire to leave the club towards the end of the last campaign.
However, Mowbray took over the reins at the Scottish giants in June after Strachan stepped down following his failure to guide the club to a fourth consecutive league title.
Now Donati has revealed the change in personnel has meant a transformation in his fortunes and feels the whole team are benefiting from the new guidance.
"The manager has been good with me but I know that he is looking at every player in his squad," Donati told
Celtic View.
"In the last few weeks, it has been my chance but we are all good players and the manager will use us all. That is not a problem for me.
"I have good team-mates and I know they will get the chance to play as well. At the moment, there is a really good mentality and feeling in the squad.
"In training and games, people are playing for each other. It's not about every man for himself.
"That is good for everyone because we all enjoy being at Celtic. The mentality is different.
"Even if you are not playing, the manager keeps you involved. We are all part of the group we are all involved in the game and there is a great spirit.
"Things have been going really well. I'm not just talking about me personally, I'm talking about the team.
"There is a good atmosphere around the club just now. There's a new mentality, on the pitch and off the pitch, and it's good for us.
"We have had some good performances and I hope it continues. Personally, I'm just happy to be playing in the team again."
Pre-season success
Mowbray has enjoyed a successful start in charge, winning the friendly Wembley Cup tournament and knocking out Dinamo Moscow in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers after a last-gasp Georgios Samaras winner.
The Bhoys now have a difficult task as they face Arsenal for the right to make the group stages of the competition, and Donati feels his bright start to the season can also help get his Celtic career back on track.
"When Georgios Samaras scored the winner against Dinamo, I went to the fans to celebrate because I was so happy to be involved.
"It was the same when I scored against Al-Ahly at Wembley. OK, that wasn't a big game, but I was happy to be on the pitch playing for Celtic again.
"Last season, it was hard for me. I was hardly in the first team for one whole year so to score at Wembley gave me a massive boost.
"Now, I'm involved again in important games for the team and it brings a change to my life. Any nervous feeling goes away. I am happy now."
