SUPER MAC ON RADAR
Celtic look to America for defensive cover
RISING American star Mark McKenzie features on a list of centre-back possibilities being considered by Celtic.
The Premiership champions are seeking to reinforce the heart of their defence after deciding to release Jozo Simunovic earlier this summer. Sportsmail understands Philadelphia Union youngster
McKenzie is among a number of options to have caught the eye of the Parkhead scouting network as they weigh up their next move. The 21-year-old is highly regarded in his homeland and won a first senior cap in a friendly against Costa Rica in February. Born in New York, McKenzie has progressed through the age ranks with the US and captained their squad during last year’s Under-20 World Cup. That saw him hailed as a ‘natural leader’ by coach Tab Ramos and drew the interest of European clubs impressed by his maturity. McKenzie yesterday helped Philadelphia keep a clean sheet in a 1-0 win over New York City FC, managed by ex-Parkhead boss Ronny Deila. The fixture formed part of the MLS Is Back tournament, which is being played in a World Cup format and runs into next month. McKenzie is under contract until 2022, with the club holding options that run until 2024. Ryan Christie, meanwhile, believes a strong pre-season with Celtic can see him reproduce the outstanding form witnessed in the first half of last term. The Scotland midfielder hit 17 goals prior to Christmas before suffering a freak injury. He added two more goals in the latter part of the campaign, but is eager to get going again after coming through double sessions in a training camp at Loughborough University. ‘This week we’ve been pushed right to the edge,’ he told the Celtic website. ‘Everyone’s worked hard and it’s been tough. We’re feeling it in our legs every morning but that’s pre-season and you come to expect that. ‘We’re trying to get up to our peak performance level as quickly as possible and then maintain it. ‘That’s something we’ve been really good at over the last couple of seasons. We’ll be looking to start the season the same way. ‘I need to keep working hard in training so that, hopefully, come the first game, I’m in the starting eleven. To do that, I also need to stay injury-free which comes back to looking after myself throughout pre-season.’