Days like these, when Celtic and their fans get to go to Hampden with the chance of winning a trophy, and even a treble, may have become more common in recent times. But the idea that they have become any less special as a result is a theory that has been flatly denied by anyone connected with the club.
In fact, Cameron Carter-Vickers, who will take his personal trophy tally to 10 with a victory over Aberdeen at the national stadium this afternoon, says he is still pinching himself that he gets to experience all of this for a living.
When he was younger, he aspired to be a footballer, but never dreamt he would be doing it at such a level. To get here, he was also helped along the way by the selfless dedication of his mum, and it is for those reasons that he will never take such afternoons for granted.
“As a kid, I was never really a massive dreamer,” Carter-Vickers said.
“I just wanted to play football and do as well as I could.
“You think, ‘Wow, I am playing football, and I am playing at a very high level and picking up silverware’.
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“As a kid, I always enjoyed playing football. I wanted to be a footballer. But in terms of being a footballer at the level that wins trophies, plays in cup finals, plays in the Champions League, that was never really something I thought about to be honest.
“I was hoping to play football at any kind of level, not necessarily the level that is at this club.
“I grew up mainly with my mum and nan. My mum used to say to me before every training session I'd to go to just enjoy it and do your best. That was her message for me every time.
“That's my mindset even to this day, to be honest. Every day, every time you get an opportunity to play football, just do your best.
“It might work out, it might not work out on the day, but as long as you know in yourself that you gave yourself the opportunity to perform and give your best, that'll do.
“I was in the Tottenham academy from maybe 11, which was an hour, sometimes an hour and a half in rush hour, away.
“So, three, four nights a week she would take me up there by train or car. It was a big commitment for her.”
And to get to play in such occasions has also taken a big commitment from him, not only in those early days of his career, but as he points out to those who downplay Celtic’s achievements, from the very first day of pre-season back in the summer.
“I think we know, as players and professionals, that as easy as it may look from the outside it's definitely not,” he said.
“The work that we have to put in, right from pre-season, right through the winter months, to end up at this point, now in the season, is massive.
“We know we can never take that work for granted, and that if we want to have these days, like trophy day and cup finals at the end of the season, that work starts way back in pre-season and it's got to continue right throughout the season.”
That humility has been a key component of Carter-Vickers’ success, as well as that of his team.
He did though seem to aim a light-hearted jibe at Rangers back in December, when he was pictured at the darts with his teammates holding aloft a sign that read ‘119’, a reference to Celtic overtaking the trophy haul of their city rivals with their League Cup triumph just days prior.
If they do pick up the Scottish Cup, they will move three trophies clear of the Ibrox side’s total, so can we expect more rubbing of Rangers faces in their success come the final whistle?
“I didn't actually write it, it was written by Stephen Welsh, I was thrown under the bus!” he said.
“I was the stupid one to pick it up and hold it up.
“I think this year I'd better [watch] how much I drink, make sure there's no more pictures or videos.
“To be honest, I think when you do win something, you have to enjoy it with the team and the people that you've done it with, because that's one of the reasons we do it, so you have moments like that that you can create memories that will last with you.”
And Carter-Vickers doesn’t seem to be keen to give such opportunities up any time soon either, saying he is settled and happy at Celtic.
“I enjoy it,” he said.
“When I feel kind of comfortable and enjoy coming into a place and being around people that I enjoy being around, that definitely helps as well.
“I think here right now, we've got a good group of players that all get on and all kind of push each other to do better and that's definitely enjoyable.”
