One man who has certainly proved his worth after coming in from the cold against Aberdeen today is Stephen Welsh. The Scottish defender has seen game-time really limited for the past while at Celtic Park, with former boss Ange Postecoglou preferring instead to use Tomoki Iwata at centre-back instead.
It must have given his confidence a knock at the time, as the Greek-Aussie coach opted to utilise a midfielder at central defence. The arrival of Yuki Kobayashi would also have not been great news for the 23-year-old who is being courted by teams in Europe, with Italy being a specific country of interest to the young Celtic Academy graduate.
However, today he proved he is more than capable of playing a role in this Celtic squad, after he replaced stalwart, Cameron Carter-Vickers following an injury to the big USA international. He came on in a febrile atmosphere and managed to keep his head and communicate well with brand new defensive partner Maik Nawrocki.
Both men played a vital part in the Hoops coming away with all three points, in what was a potential banana skin fixture this early on in the Scottish Premiership campaign. Stephen was strong and robust and was also able to pick a pass and find a teammate when it mattered to beat the Dons’ press that had been so effective for most of the game.
His manager, Brendan Rodgers, was delighted with his contribution up in the North East this afternoon and claimed he wants him to stay at Parkhead. “I thought he was excellent when he came in,” Rodgers said via STV. “I like Stephen. I took him with me one pre-season when he was a young player because I really liked him.
“For whatever reason he hasn’t maybe played the games but he’s a Celtic boy who wants to be at the club. I want him to be at the club,” Rodgers admitted. “I said to him, ‘I can’t guarantee you how many games you are going to play. You may play 40 games in the season’. But I know he is always ready. He trains very hard every day and he came into the game, he played with composure, and he is aggressive. It was really well done from him.”
With plenty of opportunities down the road for games during this coming domestic calendar, Welsh could soon find himself back in the fold and making a contribution on a consistent basis if today is anything to go by. With Carl Starfelt already away to Celta Vigo, Cameron Carter-Vickers injured too, there’s ample opportunity for the Scot to make his mark yet.
Paul Gillespie
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