Celtic striker Carlton Cole insists that he has learned to handle nerves and as a result is able to play freely and express himself, as he did at the weekend by scoring for the Scottish champions in a Scottish Cup win over Stranraer.
It was a landmark moment for the former West Ham man as he opened his goalscoring account on his first start for the Bhoys.
Speaking about the pressure of starting his first match in a long time, the veteran striker stated that there are always nerves at play when such a situation occurs.
However, having enjoyed an illustrious club career which stretches over the course of the last two decades, the 32-year-old striker insists that he had learned the art of handling pressure.
“That was my first start for a long time so there are nerves but I’ve learnt how to handle my nerves”, Cole told his club's official website.
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The solution Cole believes, is to just go out on the pitch and enjoy the game, letting all the other things go accordingly.
"You just go out there and leave it all on the pitch. I don’t know why I did that over-head kick in the second-half, though, I think that finished me off!"
Cole also took time to express his delight at seeing the fans chant his name and now hopes to continue playing well and keep scoring.
“When you score, it doesn’t matter who it’s against, especially when it’s for Celtic.
"It’s a special thing and I hear the fans singing my name so it's a nice little return there.
"I want to do well and keep going."
