Star is born but Ryan m
ACCIES 0 CELTIC 3 Despite playing key role in recent upturn Hoops ace faces fight for the jersey
WHEN Ryan Christie thought about being a star at Celtic, he probably didn’t see it coming out of the dressing-up box.
The 23-year-old playmaker took a starring role in the club’s Christmas advert but there has been nothing make-belief about his recent twinkling form.
It was Christie who got the Parkhead side off the mark on Saturday afternoon with the first goal of the afternoon and it remains to be seen whether he maintains that key role as Brendan Rodgers’ side head to Trondheim this week.
The win over Leipzig – with Christie playing a pivotal part in teeing up Odsonne Edouard’s winner against the German side – has blown Group B wide open, albeit the Bundesliga side still hold the edge over Celtic on goal difference.
“That’s the model,” said Rodgers. “You bring a boy like that in and you know there’s lots of development in him. They come in at 19 or 20 and you know there’s value in the player.
“When I looked at him, I saw the physical qualities he has and if you can develop those and make him robust as a player mentally, then you know at some stage he’ll move on.
“But he’s loved his time here, he’s improved a lot and he’s getting valuable games and experiences. It’s great for him and great for the club.”
Celtic captain Scott Brown sat out of Saturday’s comfortable win over Hamilton with the feeling that the plastic surface would have done him little favours in the aftermath of hamstring and knee issues.
Rodgers’ side have flourished in the absence of their skipper but the Celtic manager’s comments this week suggest that he will be back in the side in due course.
Brown’s influence and experience may well come into play when consideration is given to the nature of the game against Rosenborg and just what Celtic need to take from it.
Which means that someone has to give way. Christie has been a revelation since arriving at Murrayfield at half-time as Olivier Ntcham had to go off. The France Under-21 internationalist was back in action too on Saturday and with Brown also hovering on the sidelines there are interesting personnel decisions to be made.
Between
‘‘ He’s improved a lot and he’s getting valuable experiences
Christie and James Forrest, Celtic have at their disposal players who can make the difference when it comes to unlocking a defence or nicking a goal.
Forrest looked a little lethargic against Hamilton on Saturday, no great surprise really given the volume of games he has played already this term and the manner of his performances when on international duty last week.
Christie, though, is shaping up to be the find of the season for Celtic. There is an interesting thought about whether he would be anywhere near the first team at the minute had John McGinn signed for the Parkhead club this summer, but there are always ifs, buts and maybes about the trajectory of any career.
For now, though, he looks like the player capable of making something happen.
And with Filip Benkovic and Dedryck Boyata shoring things up at the back, Celtic should at least go to Norway