ODUBAJO COULD BE A STEAL, SAYS RODGERS
to show no ill-effects from his lengthy time out before a deal could be offered, the Celtic boss feels Odubajo might potentially represent a smart piece of business. ‘It is a boy we know and we’ve had a conversation with,’ said Rodgers. ‘It is nothing more than that. We are looking to develop our game and the way we work and his profile, when he was fully fit, was really exciting. ‘He is coming back from a really awful injury. We are taking the opportunity to have a chat to see where he is at and we’ll take it from there. Moses, if he’s a fully fit player and up to speed, is a big talent. I saw him at Brentford and Hull and he was exceptional. ‘He was a winger that has been turned into a full-back, so his intent to get forward is there but he is also good defensively as well. That sort of player attracts us. ‘He will be leaving Hull. We got permission to speak but there is a concern over the fitness. There is still a lot to go before that could happen but it was nice to talk.’ Drawing a parallel with the gamble Celtic took on Craig Gordon four years ago, Rodgers went on: ‘Absolutely, as a coach you have to look. I’ve always been one to give opportunities whether through injury or they’ve been discarded. You have to weigh up the upside and the downside but Craig is a great example of what can happen.’ Rodgers watched his side see off Austrian second-tier side SK Vorwarts Steyr thanks to James Forrest’s late goal. Jonny Hayes made his first appearance since breaking his leg at Dundee on December 26 with Rodgers fulsome in his praise for the Irishman’s display. ‘It was six months to the day since Jonny had his operation,’ said Rodgers. ‘It is great for him and he had one tackle in the second half that would have been great for his confidence. There is no doubt he has put in a lot of work to get ready for things like that first tackle. You are waiting and so, when it came, it would have been a confidence booster.’ Marvin Compper made his first appearance since the Scottish Cup tie with Morton in March. Asked if the German could now nail down a place in the team, Rodgers replied: ‘Time will tell. ‘We have a lot of young, exciting players in that position along the back three. They are fast, strong and aggressive. They are all alert, developing and improving. ‘We have a good fight on with them all. We’ll get them through pre-season and see where we are.’