It’s been just over a month since Brendan Rodgers took charge of his first Celtic training session.
In that time, he has been in the dugout for eight games – a mixture of friendlies and Champions League qualifiers – and has identified the players who have most stood out thus far.
Among them is young Irish defender Eoghan O’Connell, who was the talk of the town after his long-range equaliser against Premier League champions Leicester in an International Champions Cup game at the weekend.
He'll never forget this one https://t.co/APdGm8JpST
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) July 24, 2016
Cork-born O’Connell also hammered home a penalty in the shoot-out, which the Hoops ended up losing, but his composure for a 20-year-old has not gone unnoticed.
The defender, recalled from a loan spell with Cork City in April, is one of the players who was singled out for praise by Rodgers in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
“Both players have worked very well, particularly impressed by young Eoghan,” Rodgers said when asked about Efe Ambrose and the Irish U21 international.
There’s a decent chance that O’Connell will feature at some stage in Celtic’s Champions League third qualifying round game with Astana in Kazakhstan, particularly when you look at the praise being showered upon him by his new manager.
BR on Eoghan O'Connell: A good size, wants to do well, good in the air. Around first-team for a few years & had some loan experience." (MH)
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) July 26, 2016
BR: "Up against tough opponent at the weekend, & coped very well. He has a real in-built brain for football, understands the game well. (MH)
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) July 26, 2016
BR: "I have never any fears of putting young players in." #UCL (MH)
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) July 26, 2016
Definitely one for Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane to keep a keen eye on.
