CRASH COURSE
Rodgers declares Hendry is a real star in the making and has no worries over how the young defender will cope in the white-hot cauldron of Athens
KRISTOFFER AJER is suspended, Marvin Compper is injured again and Dedryck Boyata has ‘a couple of issues medically’ while his agent declares open warfare on Celtic. As Celtic fly to Greece for a makeor-break Champions League date with AEK Athens on Tuesday, Brendan Rodgers has little option but to talk up Jack Hendry’s credentials.
A remarkable 48 hours in which Boyata’s representative, Jacques Lichtenstein, doorstepped Rodgers on the eve of yesterday’s Premiership clash at Hearts have turned a defensive headache into a full-blown crisis for the Celtic manager.
The Belgian had been primed for a key role in Athens but it is not even certain that he will board today’s flight amid concerns over his mindset.
Youngsters Ajer and Hendry have been Rodgers’ preferred pairing for the qualifiers so far, but the duo’s inexperience showed in the first leg against the Greeks.
AEK forward Marko Livaja gave Ajer — who is suspended for the return leg — a tough night and neither stopper was switched on sufficiently to stop Viktor Klonaridis picking his spot to equalise Callum McGregor’s opening goal.
Rodgers paired Hendry with Jozo Simunovic at Tynecastle yesterday and the pair are likely to start as Celtic chase a necessary away goal on Tuesday.
Boyata’s stock has risen to the point where he became a bronze medallist at this summer’s World Cup but he has remained susceptible to the odd slack moment, something Rodgers attributes to the fact he played little first-team football before moving to Glasgow at the age of 24.
That’s partly why the manager has been so keen to stick with Ajer, 20, and Hendry, 23, who was signed from Dundee in January.
‘Without Dedryck, the two boys are our best centre-halves at the moment. It’s as simple as that,’ stated Rodgers.
‘Jack Hendry is getting better with each game. But how does he get experience? He needs to be exposed to it. He has a really good profile. He’s quick and strong. He’s really dominant in the air.
‘Jack is finding a level now that he has never played at before. I think he will step up over the next six months to a year and be a very good player.
‘Age has never been a problem for me. But, of course, experience — if you have it — is great. The two boys will have gained lots of experience in these games.’
There were moments in last Wednesday’s match where elements of the Celtic support seemed impatient with Hendry.
The grumbles were audible if he made a mistake but Rodgers insist the Scotland cap has the mental strength to deal with the crowd.
‘Jack has been admirable in how he has coped,’ said the manager. ‘Of course he will make mistakes, he is only human and he is finding his feet at this level.
‘He has stood up to it. He doesn’t shirk from the ball nor from his defending. He is going through his first exposure to a level which is new to him. Will he get better? Absolutely. As with all young players, you want to look at Jack in 12 months’ time.
‘What I love about him is that he doesn’t hide from it. He is growing into the surrounds. He never misses a day’s training and really wants to improve.
‘Jack is under the spotlight and I think the kid is coping with it very well. Will he make mistakes ? He will, but you have to support him.
‘If we didn’t have Jack Hendry, we would have even bigger problems.’
Those words of encouragement for the former Dundee centre-back came at Rodgers’ weekly press briefing on Thursday, an occasion he also used to explain why Celtic would be foolish to sell Boyata with the club’s Champions League fate still hanging in the balance.
The Belgian was the subject of a £9million bid from Premier League newcomers Fulham last week but remained a Celtic player beyond
the closure of the English transfer window on Thursday night. That didn’t necessarily mean Celtic would hold the 27-year-old to the final year of his Parkhead contract.
Rodgers admits the former Manchester City prospect — who played three times as Belgium advanced to the World Cup semifinals — may well wish to pursue his ambitions elsewhere.
In addition to Fulham’s rejected offer, Sevilla and Lazio have been credited with an interest and the Celtic boss admits he has personally fielded calls from Italy regarding the availability of the man he regards as his best centre-back.
Lichtenstein spoke out this weekend, claiming that ‘promises have not been kept’ regarding the player’s future.
Rodgers, however, insists he has talked with Boyata to explain that, for now, he is needed at Celtic.
Asked if he had requested the Belgian to hold off on a potential move away from the club while the Champions League qualification process remained ongoing, Rodgers replied:
If we didn’t have Jack, we’d have even bigger problems
‘There’s a big element of that. There has been interest in Dedryck from the Premier League and abroad. But we’re not in a position where we want to lose our experienced centre-halves at the moment. ‘Naturally, it makes you think, especially when the financial side is on offer down south. But he’s a good guy and he knows where he’s at. ‘I’m pretty clear on his intentions and where he’s at with this stage of his career. You think back to where he was a couple of years ago — he has worked really hard and he’s in a good place. Of course, he is going to get offers. ‘He did great in the World Cup and that is noticed around the world. Remember also the type of player he is — he’s 27, 6ft 3ins, quick and strong. He’s a good guy. It’s a good profile. I’ve had calls from Italy for him. So, there’s still a market for moving after the Premier League closed.’
Rodgers frequently speaks of his ‘duty of care’ to his players and their career prospects. Just as he will have managerial ambitions that stretch beyond his days at Celtic, so he knows his players may also have opportunities they wish to pursue.
When Everton showed strong interest in Kieran Tierney earlier this summer, he made it clear he would not stand in the full-back’s way should a hefty offer materialise. The Premier League has now shut its doors for 2018, but the former Liverpool boss says it is wrong to assume that every professional aspires to play in England. And he more than hints that Boyata may fancy something further afield. ‘He is a boy from Belgium who has been 11 years more or less in the British game,’ explained Rodgers. ‘Not all of these guys want to go to England. They are intelligent, multi-lingual and they are happy to go to Italy, happy to go to Spain.
‘The Premier League isn’t the be all and end all. It is where the money is, but there are also big clubs and money in other countries.’