RODGERS STRIKING IT LUCKY WITH IDAH
ADAM IDAH wasn’t the name on Celtic fans’ lips when they wanted a new striker in January. But Brendan Rodgers is licking his – at the thought of taking the Irish kid to the very top.
The Hoops boss has history when it comes to this type of development.
Danny Graham at Swansea was turned into a Premier League marksman. At Liverpool, Uruguayan star Luis Suarez became prolific under Rodgers. And even at Celtic first time around, he nurtured a raw talent in Moussa Dembele who went on to earn the Parkhead club £20million by moving Lyon.
There’s a glint in Rodgers’ eye when he talks about the potential of 22-year-old loan signing Idah, who bagged a brace of penalties on his debut against Hibs.
And ahead of today’s Scottish Cup clash with St Mirren in Paisley, the Celtic manager said: “I’m excited about trying to take Adam’s game to the next level.
“I had already seen him live in the Premier League with Norwich and saw a young player with real potential. Being Irish, obviously that caught my eye as well.
“It just hasn’t quite worked out for
him yet. But when you see someone with that physicality, speed and technique, it excites you.
“And you saw on Wednesday night how he took those two penalties. It was with authority and composure.
“When I see all of that, it’s always exciting. He’s got all the tools there.
“It’s now about trying to give him the mentality you need to be a top player.
“People will ask me, ‘How far can he go?’ Well, he has the talent to go to the very highest level.
“But it’s about what he does with it. The way my teams play, in an attacking and aggressive way, wingers and strikers should benefit from the way I work.
“If you go through my career, look at Graham who did great for me at Swansea. When I went to Liverpool, they said Suarez didn’t score enough goals. And then he finished two seasons with 30-plus by narrowing his game. He has spoken publicly about the work I did with him.
“If the player shows me he cares and wants to do it, I can maximise a lot from them.
“Whether they’re 22 or even 32, like Jamie Vardy at Leicester.”