BRAWN WINNER
Shearer: Christie is the perfect replacement if Rogic quits Celtic now the loan Don has become the Incredible Bulk
DUNCAN SHEARER reckons Celtic shouldn’t fear losing The Magic Man because The Muscle Man is ready to take his place.
Right now the long-term future of Tom Rogic in Glasgow’s east end is unclear.
The brilliant Australian will enter the final year of his contract in the summer and has yet to offer any clear indications on his next move.
Rogic’s participation in the World Cup puts him into a massive shop window.
Should he perform at Russia 2018 the playmaker, who has been dubbed The Magic Man by his manager Brendan Rodgers, is likely to generate huge interest and spark a flood of offers.
Rogic would of course be a big loss to Celtic should he choose not to stay. But Shearer believes midfielder Christie is preparing himself to be the perfect replacement.
The 23-year-old has had 14 months of regular top-team action at Aberdeen through a loan spell and the former Reds favourite has watched him mature and blossom at Pittodrie into a fully-fledged Scotland international.
Shearer has also noticed it isn’t just his reputation and confidence that are building.
Flicking through newspapers following Aberdeen’s win over St Johnstone last weekend he was startled by the images of the recently bulked-up Christie celebrating his latest goal.
Shearer – who helped hone Christie’s talent as a youth coach at Inverness Caley Thistle – says the growth can be the final piece in the star’s development and has him in the ideal spot to step into the Parkhead top team and make any loss of Rogic bearable to the Hoops fans. He said: “I was looking at a picture of Ryan at the weekend and it’s fair to say he’s filled out.
“You can see around his shoulders and his arms he has really worked on that part of his game.
“The accusation was he was a little bit too lightweight. I would think that would be a fair assessment and I’m sure his dad would also agree with that viewpoint but he seems to have pumped up and built up.
“Ryan has the brain and the knowledge of everything else that
You can see around his shoulders and arms he has worked on that part of his game DUNCAN SHEARER
is required to be a top-class footballer.” While impressed at Christie’s attitude to strengthening and conditioning, Shearer also sounded a warning having seen one of his former team-mates go over the top in the gym. He said: “Some boys can get carried away with it. I remember wee Scott Booth did it at Aberdeen and he got a bit obsessed with it. I felt it slowed him down a wee bit. “Hopefully Ryan doesn’t overdo that side of things. It’s not all about weight, just look at Lionel Messi. He’s not a bodybuilder. If Ryan can manage that side of things correctly and keep playing the way he is, there is a fantastic talent there.” At this stage of the season Christie is targeting second in the Premiership with the Dons and also getting his hands on the Scottish Cup, when, ironically, it could be Celtic who stand in the Reds’ way in the Final.
But even if Rogic stays or goes it seems the next move is back to Parkhead.
Rodgers has spoken warmly about Christie’s work at Aberdeen and has made it clear he plans to have the playmaker back as part of his squad for the beginning of next season.
Although he was not able to stamp his mark on the Celtic team during his fleeting appearances under Ronny Deila and Rodgers, Shearer says the situation has changed.
Christie has played a big role for the Reds this term and his goals and creativity have helped keep his team on an upward curve.
The expectation levels will be even higher at Parkhead than they are at Pittodrie but Shearer is convinced he will go back a much more rounded and experienced individual, capable of taking his place among Rodgers’s stars and fitting comfortably into the set-up.
He said: “Ryan could slot easily into the Celtic team at the moment without a shadow of a doubt.
“The time is right for him to make a major impact there next year. Hopefully Brendan Rodgers will see it the same way for Ryan’s sake.
“There seems no question he’s loving life at Aberdeen under Derek McInnes and his assistant Tony Docherty and the move has worked out really well for both of the parties.
“Ryan’s that kind of lad. He’s not interested in the limelight side of things and he was never one who would be going out with the rest of the boys. He balances things very well in his career and you need to do that these days.
“I’m really looking forward to watching his career over the next couple of years to see which path it takes, whether it be at Parkhead or not.
“The way Brendan is talking about it, it does seem he will be going back and getting an opportunity and I would love to see him kick on and be a big part of that side.
“In fact if I’m honest I would like to see him go down and have a crack at England at some point.
“It’s not that I want to be taking players away from Aberdeen or the Scottish game, if we’re talking about Celtic, but I really believe this boy can go quite far.
“In the end his future is in the hands of one man and that’s Brendan. Ryan can only go there and show his best. He’s capable of that I’m sure.”