A Kyogo Furuhashi goal last month left Jack Murray feeling blue – but the Buckie Thistle defender is relishing trying to shackle the Celtic marksman.
The Jags head to Parkhead on Sunday for their Scottish Cup fourth round tie against the Hoops.
Murray is a Rangers supporter and was left gutted by Furuhashi’s goal in the last Old Firm derby on December 30 as Celtic won 2-1.
The 23-year-old said: “This tie is a great thing for Buckie and it will be a great occasion for us all.
“I saw Kyogo’s quality a couple of weeks ago against Rangers – I was spewing about that goal, but I’ll see how I get on against him.
“You want to play against these good players in your career and test yourself against the best you possibly can.”
Stopper can chip in goals, too
Although Murray’s main job is to try to keep out goals, he has become a prolific scorer for Buckie.
Having netted 12 goals already this term, he’s the highest-scoring defender in north football.
When asked about his scoring record and the prospect of adding to it against Celtic, Murray said: “A few of them have been penalties, which maybe bumps it up a bit. But you’ve still got to score them.
“I feel confident going into every game that I can get a chance and a goal.
“I don’t know if we’ll get many chances against Celtic – I’ll be busier trying to keep them out – but it would definitely be a dream of mine to score there.
“I think it is something that’s in my game where I can chip in with a few goals, headers and things like that.
“I’ve scored a few long-rangers in my time as well, but I still feel like I can add more with some of the chances I miss.”
Buckie’s chance to shine on big stage
Murray is one of a number of players in the Buckie squad who joined the Jags after coming out of full-time football.
He was released by Ross County in the summer of 2020, but feels he has improved as a player since and hopes to show it against the Premiership champions and cup holders.
He said: “It was a trick period during Covid and hard for clubs, and they let players go.
“But looking back now, I think at that time I wasn’t good enough – I feel I’ve improved as a player since.
“There is quality in our squad and some of the boys do have ambitions of playing at a higher level, and I think some of us are capable of it.
“It’s all about getting a chance and being lucky as well, because if you’re in the right place at the right time, you never know who’s watching.”
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