It was always going to be impossible to properly replace Kieran Tierney, but it seems like Celtic decided to go with a few guys rather than just one outright replacement.
Boli Bolingoli remains a bit of an enigma but his pace certainly looks useful, Jonny Hayes gained the trust of Neil Lennon in some big games while Greg Taylor took some time to settle.
It was always going to be a big step up from Kilmarnock, but it took a long time to get a serious run of games and you could see he needed time to build his confidence too.
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A report from Glasgow Live looked at some of his comments, and it’s clear he felt much more involved after their January training camp in July.
Taylor said:“Overall, it’s been a really successful few months for me. It took some time for me to get in the team. I think a lot of people expect players to just walk into a team because they’ve signed, but you’ve got to earn that right and when the opportunity comes about you have to take it.”
“It was great getting a good run of games and helping out with some assists as well so it was a really enjoyable period for me.”
“In terms of highlights this season, the period since returning from Dubai was the most enjoyable. It was the longest that I was in the team.”
It’s easy to forget that his transfer from Kilmarnock was drawn out and it meant he arrived once the team had started to gel, so it was always going to be difficult for him to settle.
Clearly some time away with the team helped, and he had started to play well before play was suspended.
As things stand it looks like Hayes will be off this Summer, so we could see a straight battle between Taylor and Bolingoli for the starting spot next season.
Both players were signed for a similar fee and there’s not been much between their performances this season, so it could be interesting to see who gets the nod.
