Livingston v Celtic – Wilfried Nancy’s Pre-Match Media Conference

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The Celtic Star

·23 December 2025

Livingston v Celtic – Wilfried Nancy’s Pre-Match Media Conference

Celtic held their pre-match mainstream media conferences today with Benjamin Nancy and Wilfried Nancy ahead of the match away to Livingston on Saturday afternoon (27 December)…

Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy reacts as he his team score their first goal during the Premier League match between Celtic and Aberdeen at Celtic Park on December 21, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Celtic fan media remains banned, pending the outcome of Celtic’s ‘review’ which as things stand has not involved any communication whatsoever. If they are looking for happy clappers and compliant bloggers taking their orders from the boardroom then they should save themselves the cost of the phone call.

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Here’s everything that the mainstream media asked and the responses given by Wilfried Nancy who seems more relaxed after getting his first win as Celtic manager against Aberdeen on Sunday afternoon at Celtic Park…

Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy reacts during the Premier League match between Celtic and Aberdeen at Celtic Park on December 21, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: How’s the mood been since Sunday’s big victory against Aberdeen?

Wilfried Nancy: “It’s been good, it’s been good. I finished rewatching the game and we have many things to work on. We won the game, yes, but it doesn’t change my life because I have to go back and work again like we did when we lost. Obviously, the mood is better because we know what it means. For my players, this is important, just to validate what they did well since I came here. So obviously this is good for them.”

Q: In terms of yourself though, you must have taken so much belief, not just from the result, but the fact that you created so many chances?

Wilfried Nancy: “The game against Dundee United was the same. We also had opportunities against Hearts, we didn’t score. I think that each game that we played, we had many, many chances. That’s why I said that we deserve more wins. But what I can see is that, again, I just finished watching the game, and I saw a really good game, a coherent game, regarding the way we want to attack, the way we want to defend, the aggression that we want to have. And yes, we played against ten men, but we provoked that. And for me, this is important. So yeah, this is a good progression for the moment.”

Celtic Park. Celtic v Aberdeen, 21 December 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: Do you feel that on that progression, the only way is up at the moment?

Wilfried Nancy: “Yes, because I am like this. Imagine a leader who is not positive? It could be difficult for the players, no? But again, I am honest with them. When this is good, I tell them. When we have to work on certain things, I also tell them. So I think that there are good improvements, but this is only the beginning. We have many things that we can adjust. And that’s why I’m really happy with the performance that we had, because I can push them a little bit more regarding certain things.”

Celtic Park. Celtic v Aberdeen, 21 December 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: In terms of the game, did you see one thing in particular that changed against Aberdeen from the previous four games?

Wilfried Nancy: “No, because we were better in terms of execution. The execution that we had against Aberdeen was a bit better, but in the previous game, we could have scored so many goals too. So against Dundee United, I think we missed three or four tap-ins, so we could have scored. We could have been 3-0 up at half-time, but it was not the case. Also what I like is the competitive spirit. Yes, we conceded one goal, but to avoid… We are better in terms of set-pieces. Not the first contact, because it’s been good for the moment, but for the second contact and for the second ball and third wave. So that’s why, for me, the competitive spirit that we had was really good. But again, the only difference is that we scored goals. Because like I said, we had really good performances, not during all the games, but during a few halves, but we didn’t score. And now we did score, so it’s not the same story.”

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Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy reacts during the Premier League match between Celtic and Aberdeen at Celtic Park on December 21, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: In terms of adding to your squad in January, how close are you to bringing new players in?

Wilfried Nancy: “Like I said before, my job is to analyse my players first, and after that we see what we’re going to do. But I know that we can add players, like every club.”

Q: You mentioned the chances being missed. There’s a higher proportion of good chances being missed. Is that down to confidence in front of goal, or is it down to personnel?

Wilfried Nancy: “It could be both. I know that it’s not easy to score goals. That’s why the chances that we created, I am happy with that, but obviously, we have to score more goals. After that it could be confidence, it could be tactics, it could be technique, it could be emotion. These are all the kinds of things that we have to analyse to help the players to score goals.”

21.12.2025 Celtic v Aberdeen, Scottish Premiership. Kieran Tierney celebrates his goal. Photo Kenny Ramsay IMAGO

Q: I’m not talking about players here per se, but in your previous role at Columbus, you had a real focal point up front, Hernandez. In your title season he scored 25 or 26 goals. How important is it to have a striker who is top level, who is reliable, cutting edge? How important is that to a team?

Wilfried Nancy: “I think that if you ask the question to all coaches, they’re going to say the striker is important. Obviously, yes, we are all the same as a coach. But at the same time, what I like with my team and with all the teams that I coach, and for the moment it’s not so bad, we can score from any position. This is what has happened since I’m here. Now, yes, you mentioned Cucho Hernandez. He did score many goals, but we scored many goals with other players. For me, this is important. Obviously, like I said, as a coach, yes, we want all the positions in our team. But again, we’re going to work on that and we’ll see.”

Johnny Kenny misses. Dundee Utd v Celtic, Scottish Premiership. Tannadice, 17 December 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

21.12.2025 Celtic v Aberdeen, Scottish Premiership Dimitar Mitov denies Johnny Kenny a goal. Photo Kenny Ramsay. IMAGO

Q: It seems obvious to say, because you are light in that area. Obviously, you have Johnny Kenny, Kelechi Iheanacho is injured. I would imagine a striker is top of the shopping list for January.

Wilfried Nancy: “Yes, but like I said, if you watch the game, we missed so many opportunities and it was not the forward. So again, as I said, we’ll see what we’re going to do with that.”

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Q: Is that something you can address on the training ground, these chances that you’re not converting? Is that something you can address technically? Can you have a quiet word with a player about doing something different? How do you go about sorting out that issue?

Wilfried Nancy: “Yes, this is not easy. This is a good question, because we think that this is easy to score goals, but there is emotion. Emotion is one of the most difficult things to control. When a player misses a goal, thinking about it after that context. When we train, everybody is good. It’s a way of talking. But now we have to add this kind of situation. So again, I think that this is repetition, but I like to call it like this. This is repetition without repetition, because they know how to shoot. They know how to kick the ball. They know how to control. This is more to create an environment regarding the way we’re going to train to help the player to perform and to repeat this kind of action. But after that, this is more the mental aspect. There are many things that are difficult to coach. This is more about giving confidence and also support and sometimes challenges to the player, because this is so complex.”

21.12.2025 Celtic v Aberdeen, Scottish Premiership. Johnny Kenny gets his shot away Photo Kenny Ramsay

Q: Johnny Kenny is a young striker. He does not have a great deal of first-team experience. Have you felt the need to put an arm around his shoulder and speak to him to give him confidence and tell him he’s still doing good things?

Wilfried Nancy: “Yes, for sure, because again, this is my job also to be honest with the player. Sometimes I have to hug them. Sometimes I have to tell them that this is not good enough. And this is the way I am as a coach. So now I have to find the balance and the good moments to play with this situation. So again, as you know, when there is a player who missed a goal or who missed a pass or who doesn’t have a good game, the first guy who is really sad is him. So now I have to find a solution to help him. And after that, we’ll see.”

Daizen Maeda of Celtic and Stuart Armstrong of Aberdeen Celtic v Aberdeen, Scottish Premiership at Celtic Park on 21 December 2025. Photo Mark Runnacles IMAGO Shutterstock

Q: There’s a lot of talk about players coming in, but one player who really left in the summer was Daizen Maeda. He said that he wanted to move. Have you had a conversation with Daizen about his long-term future?

Wilfried Nancy: “He’s really happy here. He’s really happy here and I knew that he had the opportunity to leave before. But for the moment, he’s with us and he’s happy to be here.”

Aberdeen goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov saves from Daizen Maeda of Celtic Celtic v Aberdeen, l Scottish Premiership, Football, Celtic Park, 21 December 2025. Photo Mark Runnacles IMAGO Shutterstock

Q: You played him in a wide left position against Aberdeen, but he’s also been used as a centre-forward. Where do you see him in his best position?

Wilfried Nancy: “Both! No, because he’s not a natural winger, I would say, because he’s able to make the run. When he starts in the middle, he makes a run on the side to attack. And when he starts on the side, he makes a run towards the net. So this is all about this kind of situation. After that, he can also be good as a number nine, but he needs players around him. Because he can keep the ball, but he likes to make the run, he likes to combine. So it’s all about players around him. Also tactically, he’s really interesting because when I have him on the side, I know that something will happen. Or in behind, or we can use the fact that he’s on the wing to be able to attack through the middle. So it depends.”

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Daizen Maeda of Celtic arrives prior to the Premier League match between Celtic and Aberdeen at Celtic Park on December 21, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: He sounds like a very important player to the way you want to play. If a club wants to come in in January, do you have a message to the board? Do you need to keep this guy for what he wants to achieve?

Wilfried Nancy: “Yes, for sure we’d like to keep him. And he knows that. And I hope that he’s going to stay.”

Q: You talked about assessing your current players. How long do you think that will take to have? Because obviously January is quite soon.

Wilfried Nancy: “Until the last day of the window! No, because again, sometimes, yes, we want to do things. But there are certain things that we cannot control. Because we are not the only club. There are many things. I’m going to tell you, I like you, I want you as a number six. But maybe we’re going to be in competition with other clubs and so on. So again, yes, there is a desire to get players, like every window. And it will not change with that. But after that, the idea is not just to add players for the sake of adding. So yes, just see what we need in terms of quality, yes. But in terms of personality, because we need personality players to play in this club.”

Wilfried Nancy talks to Daizen Maeda,, Dundee Utd v Celtic, Scottish Premiership. Tannadice, 17 December 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: There’s obviously a lot of games going on at the moment. How much time have you got to dedicate to looking at different players who may come in?

Wilfried Nancy: “It’s a day-to-day job. Because we know that there is a window. So again, there is no timeline with that. Every day, practice, I see my players. And after that, I also watch other players. And after that, there is also department work for that. And it’s about communication.”

Q: I’m sure when you came into Celtic, the recruitment staff at the club here had done a lot of preparation for the window and a lot of homework on potential targets. Have you been able to say to them, players that you are interested in, that you know about, or are you led by them and the work that they have done?

Wilfried Nancy: “No, no, it’s both. There is communication. Communication is important. We discuss about players, coming from them, coming from myself, coming from everywhere. So the idea is to find the good one if we need to add someone, and to see what we’re going to do with that.”

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Q: A lot of people will ask the question, a lot of managers will ask the question also, about how much money do I have to spend? Is that a conversation topic, or is it more fluid than that?

Wilfried Nancy: “No, I know, but again, this is not about money. This is how we’re going to spend, so for me, this is the most important.”

Q: You mentioned personality when you’re bringing in new players. How important has that been to you in your previous jobs?

Wilfried Nancy: “Yeah, it’s key. It’s key because, again, with a lot of humility, what I try to do in terms of the way we play, we need a player with a lot of personality. Also, when we add the context, the club, to play here, this is not easy. So we need players like that. That’s why, for me, this is so, so, so important.”

21.12.2025 Celtic v Aberdeen, Scottish Premiership. Kieran Tierney scores for Celtic 2-1. Photo IMAGO Kenny Ramsay

Q: Wilfried, when you were managing in North America and even back in your playing days in France, did you ever play festive football? Was it something that you’ve done before? Or will this be your first time playing games on the 27th?

Wilfried Nancy: “Ah, no, it’s going to be the first time. Yeah, everything is new. So, Christmas time, usually it’s off, family time and so on. And now, no. So that’s why I was a bit lost two hours ago because I was thinking that we were off!”

Q: What do you think about it? It’s a big tradition for us here.

Wilfried Nancy: “I love it. I love it because when I was in France or Europe or United States, I was so happy to wake up because of the jet lag and to watch games. And now I’m going to be part of that. I’m really excited by that. And it’s new, but I like it.”

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Benjamin Nygren of Celtic celebrates scoring Celtic v Aberdeen, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park – 21 Dec ember 2025Glasgow Photo Mark Runnacles IMAGO Shutterstock

Q: How important do you think these, if you look at these next three fixtures, are going to be in this title race?

Wilfried Nancy: “For sure they are important, but we have a lot of time in front of us. But again, sorry to be redundant, but each game is really important. And for me, this is one game after one game. So let’s focus on the first game and after that we’ll see for the rest.”

Q: What do you expect from Livingston? It’s a plastic pitch. What are your thoughts on all of that?

Wilfried Nancy: “You know, I played a few games on a plastic pitch, the way you call it, turf. And no my staff told me already that the environment and the opposition, the style of play of the opposition, obviously I’m going to watch today a few games, the way they play and so on. But I know that it’s going to be tough. It’s not easy to play over there, regarding the environment. But again, the idea is to respect the opposition, but to focus on us and to have a good performance to win the game.”

Q: Did you pick up any injuries against Aberdeen? Or are any injured players coming back?

Wilfried Nancy: “No, for the moment it’s the same.”

Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy reacts during the Premier League match between Celtic and Aberdeen at Celtic Park on December 21, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: You mentioned earlier about defending set-pieces. Livingston are notoriously a set-piece team. Have you been surprised by how reliant on set-pieces we are here in Scotland? And what kind of challenge are you going to face this weekend?

Wilfried Nancy: “Set-pieces, as you know, are key now in modern football. And especially also here, because of the physicality. Again, the idea is to compete and we know that they’re going to be bigger than us. The idea is to, first of all, avoid set-pieces if we can. Second is to focus on the task and try to compete. Not try, but compete with the big guys. But also to attack the ball and, especially, to be good on the second wave. But again, they are ready for that. Knowing that it’s going to be a tough one. We are ready for that.”

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Q: Is someone like Kieran Tierney, someone who has got the ideal personality for this club?

Wilfried Nancy: “Everybody knows Kieran. I knew him before I came here. This is an important player for us. But after that, there are different kinds of personalities. Kieran is not a vocal leader. He likes to show on the pitch. Callum, he likes to show on the pitch, but also he’s a vocal leader. We have other players like this. So I think that the idea, when I talk about personality, is not only to be vocal. It’s to have the right attitude when this is difficult. It means that when we attack, if this is difficult, can we still show ourselves to ask for the ball? Can we still press if we need to press? Can we defend like crazy because this is the moment? This is all this kind of thing for me, that this is more about the attitude. And this is what I’m looking for.

Kieran Tierney of Celtic celebrates scoring during the Premier League match between Celtic and Aberdeen at Celtic Park on December 21, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: Is Tierney someone who can thrive in your system?

Wilfried Nancy: “Yes, yes. He played this system already. Obviously, I discussed with him. I knew that he was able to do it. I think that there are also a few players, that they can do better in a certain position. But for the moment, I’m pleased with what I have. But I want to challenge them a little bit more because I think that they have more potential than they think.”

Q: Do you feel fitness-wise he’s getting to the level that he was at before?

Wilfried Nancy: “Yes, he’s been playing a few games now, 90 minutes. And in the past, it was only 60 minutes because they wanted to do that to help him to reach the 90 minutes. So I think that we work together on that. I think that, again, Kieran, he has a hope that you’re going to see that he can do more. I’m not surprised by what he did already. But I know that he can do more in terms of everything. So this is the idea, but fitness-wise too. The cycle is so crazy that we have to find the balance with the freshness. So that’s why the idea is not to give him 90 minutes all the time. It’s to see how he can be fresh at the good moment.”

Q: He’s scored a couple of goals for you since you came in. But you always want to push your players to do better and better.

Wilfried Nancy: “Yes. Because for me, this is the only way. They have to compete with themselves. So again, like I said, we won the game two days ago. But I’m going to be more demanding this week because I believe that we can do more. After that, it’s all about interaction, communication with players. They accept the challenge. I would not push a player if I see that he’s not able to accept the challenge. But I believe that when you give a challenge to someone, he enjoys it. So after that, it’s to find the balance with the support and so on.”

Q: Just finally back on the festive campaign. Does the manager get a day off on Christmas Day?

Wilfried Nancy: “Yes, yes, yes! My family is here, so I’m happy. I’m going to have a bit of time with them to go back fresh. Yes, I have a day off.”

Kieran Tierney and Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy are seen during the Premier League match between Celtic and Heart of Midlothian at Celtic Park on December 07, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: Pep Guardiola mentioned weighing players before and after Christmas, I guess it so busy you won’t have to get the scales out?

Wilfried Nancy: “I cannot change everything! We’ll see in the future. But this is something that we did with all my previous teams, yes. But now, there’s also too much information and too much stress. So I have to find my battle!”