RYAN CHRISTIE has assured the Celtic supporters that the players are hurting just as much as they are after their desperately disappointing Betfred Cup exit at the hands of Ross County.

Some supporters have accused the Celtic players of not giving their all for the cause or for manager Neil Lennon as they have slumped to just two wins from their last 10 games, but Christie says that nothing could be further from the truth.

The attacker insists that the squad were desperate to get a result for the fans and for boss Lennon, and he can’t understand just why they failed to do so.

“I think the most important thing that everybody needs to know is that we still care,” Christie said.

“When you go on a run like this, people automatically say they don’t care for the club or they’re not trying their best, whereas every single person out on that pitch today was absolutely desperate to get a result to put things right.

“That’s why it is so frustrating when people do say that we’re not caring or we’re not trying our best.

“Nobody would be at this club or would have done so well in their professional career if they didn’t have that attitude going into every single game.

“But it’s hard, everyone is hurting. We hurt as much as them.

“It must be horrendous for them sitting at home watching us, the team they love to see win every week.

“It’s been near perfection over the last however many years, so when a run like this comes along it is a real shock to the system.

“Yesterday at Lennoxtown we trained well, had a good meeting, and every single one of the boys – me especially – came out thinking that you want to do it for everybody involved at the club who works hard behind the scenes.

“That’s who you want to do it for, to come out here and win today. Obviously for us too, but the manager made that clear yesterday.

“Going into the game, it sounds stupid to say, but I just felt so confident. I felt this was the day it turns.”