Celtic striker Carlton Cole has insisted that he does not wish to overstrain himself in his bid to return to first team action.
The 32-year-old, who joined the Hoops on a two-year deal in October, is yet to make a competitive appearance for the club.
However, Cole played an hour of Celtic’s friendly game with Livingston last week, a fixture which ended 4-1 in his side’s favour, although the forward failed to find the back of the net.
And the forward, who was released by West Ham after the end of the 2014/15 campaign, explained that he was happy to feature in the game, but stated that he slowly intends to get in the groove for first team action.
“I needed that game last week because it has been so long since I’ve played”, Cole told this week’s Celtic View.
relatedNewsStory
“Just being out there among the lads was great. It didn’t go the way I dreamed about it, but it was a start.
“When it’s a start you’ve just got to take what you can. I worked hard, tried to influence it as much as I could, and that’ll come with more match-sharpness and games.
“I was supposed to only play 45 minutes but with the person I am, if I feel like I can do a bit more, I’ll do it.
“I asked the manager if I could do an extra 15 and they all know where I’m at but I’ve got to control that to make sure I don’t get injured again. It’s a fine line.”
Cole, who spent nine years at West Ham, scored 67 goals in 293 appearances in all competitions for his former employers.
He also earned seven caps for England, but failed to score at international level.
