Will Ciftci give Celtic extra bite?

LIAM MORRISON wonders if Celtic’s new striker will prove to be Turkish delight – or a disaster

NADIR Ciftci became Celtic’s third signing from Dundee United since January and the club’s new number seven, but boss Ronny Deila has definitely taken a risk in signing the striker, even if it is a well calculated one.

Deila has decided that despite a potentially lengthy ban looming over the Turkish striker for biting, he’s worth the £1.5million it took to get him. Ciftci can be described as a maverick, someone who finds himself at the centre of controversy – but he’s a damn good player on his day.

He is still a young player at only 23, he’s versatile as he can play as the main forward, on the right hand side or just behind the front man. He was also one of the top scorers in the Scottish Premiership last season and was included in the team of the year for the past two seasons.

Despite this, you get the feeling most Celtic fans seem underwhelmed by his signing.

The lack of enthusiasm may be pointed at Ciftci’s poor disciplinary record. The striker has been cited by the compliance officer three times this year and one of the charges was related to an incident with Scott Brown where he appeared to try and kick the Celtic captain in the head. Some Celtic supporters will find it hard to forget that.

The Turk also has a potential ban for biting looming after an incident with Jim McAlister, where he appeared to bite the Dundee player on the leg. He has been charged over the incident but will have to wait to find out if he will receive a ban and, if so, for how long. Some Celtic fans don’t think Ciftci is fit to wear the number seven shirt due to its historic past with legendary players such as Jimmy Johnstone and Henrik Larsson. But that number has been associated with lesser players in recent years and, with the number available, there was no reason why Ciftci shouldn’t take it. Now he’ll have to work hard to get all the Celtic supporters on side.

Unlike Gary Mackay-Steven and Stuart Armstrong when they first signed, Ciftci isn’t guaranteed to be a starter at Celtic due to the presence of Leigh Griffiths. I do think Deila will start the

season with him