The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Hoops loanee has no problem taking on parent club PSG
New Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard insists he will not hesitate if he has to take down Paris St-Germain in the Champions League.
The 19-year-old clinched a deadlineday move that will see him spend the next year on loan with the Hoops from the French giants.
But he could come face-to-face with his parent club’s star-studded line-up in just two weeks’ time when Celtic kick-off their group-stage campaign.
With the France youth international’s compatriot Moussa Dembele still battling back from hamstring trouble, boss Brendan Rodgers will look for Edouard to provide cover for Leigh Griffiths.
That may yet force the talented teen to go head-to-head with his main employers but Edouard stressed he will not think twice if he has to put Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and co to the sword when they visit Celtic Park on September 12.
“It’s not a problem,” he declared as he was shown round Parkhead for the first time. “I’m a football player and I’m here to score goals.
“If I can score, I’ll score. I’m really looking forward to playing in the Champions League. Facing PSG would be special for me.
“The atmosphere here is renowned and all the big players who play here always talk about that specific thing at Celtic Park and say it’s special.”
Edouard’s promise has been clear ever since he fired France’s Under-17s to European Championship glory back in 2015, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with eight goals in just five games.
Celtic have an opportunity to sign Edouard on a permanent basis next summer but for the time being he is focusing on taking the kind of steps that have made fellow Frenchmen Dembele and Olivier Ntcham first-team regulars under Rodgers.
He said: “I went to Toulouse last year to make sure I was playing regularly so this kind of decision I’ve made before.
“What PSG has done this summer is very good for the club in terms of their objectives. It’s fantastic. I trained with Neymar before coming to Celtic. He’s a great player. Celtic should expect the unexpected when he comes here.
“But from my point of view, I’m a young player and need to play, so I’m going to work hard and hope to get in the team.
“I’ve just arrived so for me the most important focus is to start training, hopefully start playing and then we will see what happens with my future.”