ODSONNE EDOUARD has been speaking to a French magazine about his relationship with Brendan Rodgers and why he decided to swap the glamour of Paris St Germain for the glory of playing in the Hoops.
“When I was at PSG, Edinson Cavani gave me advice every day. Whether it was about my positional sense, my finishing, even my speed, he spoke to me a lot.
“This gave me a massive amount of belief in myself that a great striker like him took time out to speak to me,” the striker who the Celtic fans call French Eddie said to the French magazine Onze Mondial.
“He basically was responsible for me being a striker and he gave me confidence.
“I was also there with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but he was different. I was a kid and that was it. He didn’t speak the same language as me so it was not easy to communicate. Occasionally, he gave me a few instructions through signs, but there wasn’t a lot of exchanges between us.
“It was stuffy at PSG. I needed to go on a new project. There were great players in my position. I was young and I had to go out and play football. I decided to leave and give new impetus to my career.
“So I chose Celtic because they are a big club who always play in Europe.”
A huge factor in him reaching that decision was just how impressed he was then – and remains – with Brendan Rodgers.
“I had a good chat with the manager. He told me about his projects and ambitions and spoke about what he wanted to do with me.
“I appreciated his words and it just felt like a good feeling with him. I immediately decided there and then I would sign. I needed a new challenge and you don’t refuse a club like Celtic.
“Brendan Rodgers is a very good coach. From day one, he spoke to me a lot and always encourages me. He is very experienced. He has made me a better player and I feel I am progressing very well under him.
“He’s an open coach who is very close with his players. I love his management style and the way he wants to play football.
“Brendan Rodgers coached someone like Luis Suarez and looked what he did with him. When a coach like him says he wants you to be his main striker, then you go straight away.
Edouard is lovely the responsibility of being the main striker at Celtic. With Moussa Dembele now at Lyon and Leigh Griffiths unable to build up a run of games due to a series of niggling injuries, French Eddie has been the only striker available to the Celtic manager for the past few months.
That brings added pressure and additional responsibility for the young striker, not that it bothers him in the slightest.
“I don’t feel any pressure being Celtic’s main striker. I am calm and I just concentrate on doing what I do best, which is to play football.
“When I am playing, I give everything for my team. I am impervious to pressure. I have a quiet strength about me.”
Edouard also spoke about his international ambitions and given that France are the World Champions it is going to take some pretty special form to break into that side!
“Playing for France is something that is very close to my heart. I’m so proud to have represented my country at youth level. To win the Euro Under 17s was an incredible experience for me. It will forever be engraved in my head.
“My ambition is to play for France as soon as possible. It would be nice to play for the Under 21s first, but I know I have to play as well as possible for Celtic.
“I look at someone like Kylian Mbappe and it’s not a surprise to me how well he has done because I have known him for a long time. I’m not taken aback in the slightest that he is one of the best players in the world today because I knew he would be.
“My football ambitions are to play for France, play for a very, very big European club and win the Champions League.”
It would be amazing if he could fulfill all these ambitions while at Celtic!
Also on The Celtic Star today…
Everyone had a stinker so why blame Sinclair?…See HERE.
‘Craig had hardly anything to do. From our perspective it was poor,’ Rodgers…See HERE.
Jim Craig – Celtic debutant Ebenezer Owers and he’s a Skelper!…See HERE.
Celtic Fans TV: “That is definitely 2 points dropped!”…See HERE.
‘A poorish performance and a pig’s ear of a penalty from Griffiths,’ David Potter…See HERE.
