JOY AND SORO
Emergence of Ismaila is rare positive for Celts and he wants to fill Broonie’s boots now
Trying to replace Scott Brown in the Celtic team would be a heavy burden for any player.
But for a 22-year-old Ivorian who is living alone in a new country and can barely speak the language?
It’s a monumental task.
That’s what Ismaila Soro is faced with, having been one of the few bright spots in a bleak season for the club.
When ex-gaffer Neil Lennon brought him in from the cold to displace the skipper as Celtic’s midfield anchor, fans weren’t sure what to expect.
But Soro’s performances gave punters hope that something positive might emerge from a disastrous campaign that has seen their bid for 10-in-a-row evaporate.
His energy to get around the pitch and tenacity in the tackle appeared to give the team fresh impetus.
But when he was taken back out of the side for Brown’s return, it eventually led to Lennon losing his job after a dismal 1- 0 defeat at struggling Ross County.
Soro knows all about the captain’s influence at Celtic and what he has achieved in a trophy-laden 14 years.
But you get the feeling that when Brown goes, he will relish the prospect of stepping in.
He said: “It’s a very tough job to step into Scott’s shoes.
“First of all, the captain is a really great player I respect a lot. To be at a big club for such a long time as captain says a lot about him.
“And it’s not just the job he does on the pitch, it’s everything else. He’s such an important figure at this club.
“So being the one who has to try and do the same job as him on the pitch is a big challenge.
“But I am ready for every match and I have a lot of confidence. By playing more games here, I will get better. When I signed for Celtic I made an effort to train as hard as I could. I wanted to make sure I was ready.
“But it wasn’t for me to decide if I played or not. That was up to the coach.
“I just needed to be ready for when the time came.”
Soro was signed for £2million from Israeli side Bnei Yehuda last January but initially struggled to get himself involved with the first-team.
He already had experience of playing in different countries, having been at Saxan in Moldova then Gomel in Belarus before landing in Israel.
He played more than 60 games for Bnei Yehuda before Lennon made his move in January 2020.
But shortly after arriving in Scotland the Covid pandemic struck, making it more difficult for Soro to integrate with his new team-mates.
He has shown resilience and mental strength to get through it and is now seen by many Celtic supporters as
potentially being a key player for the side next season.
Speaking through a translator, Soro said: “I stayed in Scotland throughout the whole Covid lockdown.
“That was tough, of course, but I think I have a strong mentality.
“By the time I came here, I had already played in three different countries so I’ve learned to adapt.
“The key thing for me is that when I go on to the pitch, I have the same approach. At all times, my priority is just to work hard.
“It’s been no different whether I’m playing in Moldova, Belarus, Israel or Scotland.
“The hardest situation was probably here during Covid because nobody could go anywhere.
“It was really difficult to cope with those circumstances.
“But if you’re talking about a country, my time in Belarus was probably the hardest for me.
“At Celtic, I’ve had people to help me.
Vakoun Issouf Bayo was the one who really helped me the most during those first few months.
“We’re both Ivorian so he was the person I was closest to when I arrived. He helped me settle, so he was really important during Covid.
“Bayo left to go on loan but Odsonne Edouard and Christopher Jullien have also been very good to me.
“Having these guys around at Celtic has been a real help to me.”
Soro enjoyed working under Lennon, who eventually gave him a debut, but now has to impress interim gaffer John Kennedy.
He’s desperate to be involved at Tannadice today as the Hoops take on Dundee United in their Premiership clash.
And after scoring his first Hoops goal against the Terrors back in December, he’d love to do the same again on Tayside.
Soro said: “I have to thank Neil
Lennon a lot. When I arrived at the club, he helped me and taught me. “And finally, he played me! So I’m thankful for all of that.
“John Kennedy is someone who speaks to me a lot. He has given me a lot of good advice since I joined Celtic. “Even when I was not playing, the fact he would take time to speak to me was vital.
“I scored my f irst goal against Dundee United and I’d love to do the same this time.
“I could have scored against Aberdeen last week when I was in a good position to score as Odsonne had the ball.
“I asked him at the end about it because initially I wasn’t happy that he hadn’t passed to me. I was in such a good position.
“But I also understand that he’s an attacking player. And we’re in the same team so the most important thing was that we won the game, which we did.”