Former Celtic striker Tony Watt believes that he got less game time at the Parkhead side after scoring in an iconic evening against Barcelona in the Champions League in 2012.

Watt, whom Celtic had signed from Airdrie, was just 18 when he came off the bench to score in a 2-1 win over the Catalan giants on a night that catapulted him into the consciousness of the Hoops support.

“When I first came through Neil Lennon was brilliant with me,” said Watt. “But it got difficult for me near the end of my time at Celtic because I had [Anthony] Stokes, [Gary] Hooper and [Georgios] Samaras ahead of me in the queue of strikers. I wanted more game-time at Celtic but I couldn’t get that. In fact, I think I got less game-time at Celtic after that Barcelona goal.

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“I knew I was going to play that evening. Lennon had told me in the morning that the squad was thin and that I’d come off the bench. All I wanted to do was get on the pitch and swap a shirt with someone at the end. I never imagined what was going to happen.

“After that goal I actually had less game-time at Celtic than before it. But that goal will remain a special moment for me, despite some people trying to make a negative out of it.”

Watt is now focussed on trying to kickstart his career at St Johnstone where he believes Tommy Wright can get the best out of his.

The striker was without a club for four months after being released by Belgium club Leuven in February] but still believes that he can fulfil his potential.

“I went to the gym every day,” he said. “It was a grind. I treated the gym as my job. I’d get up at 8.30, have a coffee, and be in the gym for nine. I’d then run for an hour, do weights, run more, do upper body stuff. I met Lee McCulloch in the gym and he said to me, ‘these are your hard yards…do it.’ Lee reassured me that I was doing the right thing.

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“I keep a good diet but I also cleaned it right back, so there were no calories on it whatsoever. For three or four weeks recently I had nothing big at all.

“I’ve had a good career. It’s only the last two years that have clouded that. I did well at Celtic, but I wanted more game-time than I got. Then I went to Standard Liege, where the manager got sacked. Then I went to Charlton, and I felt I did well there. They wanted to sell me, but I went on loan to Cardiff and Blackburn, and then I got my injury.

“Then I went to Hearts, and didn’t feel I was in my best position, so that didn’t go as well as I’d wanted it to go. I’m still only 24 and feel I’ve had a pretty good career so far. And my best times should be ahead of me.”