Joe Hart collected Liel Abada’s man of the match award on Saturday, saying the young Israeli winger wasn’t quite confident enough to discuss his brilliant winner and impressive all-round performance against Dundee United on Saturday on Celtic TV.
🎙️ Joe Hart: 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵!#CELDUTD | #cinchPrem | #COYBIG 🍀 pic.twitter.com/iKYF5TYyAk
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) January 29, 2022
But quiet as he may be when a microphone is near him, 60,000 supporters at Celtic don’t faze the player, and while Abada is continuing to deliver on the pitch, his teammates like Nir Bitton and Greg Taylor are more than willing to help him settle off it.
Celtic’s left back Taylor, as reported in Daily Record has been discussing Abada’s impact on the club, his shyness off it, and why Ange Postecglou’s tactical approach led to Abada being in the right time at the right place on Saturday, for a twelfth goal of the season –
“Liel’s really a quiet lad who’s done really well ever since he’s come over.
“He’s not shy, just a quiet young lad who’s trying to improve every day, like we all are.
“Liel’s been guided along well by Niro Bitton and I know he’s very grateful to have someone in the dressing room who’s come from the same country.
“But we’ll try to help each other here, we’ve got a really good group.
“Coming to a club this size, it does take time to adapt and to settle and we’ve seen that with a lot of players down the years.
“But you look at Liel. He scored in Europe in his first game and he’s really taken to the team and to the club.
“His numbers for someone so young are top drawer.
“The gaffer’s big on the opposite winger being in the middle of the goals when balls are coming across because so many goals are scored in there and Liel’s so good at that side of things.
“He’s had a lot of big moments so far this season and this was another one. He has a real talent for sniffing out goals like that and he took it really well.”
Liel Abada has been a sensation in recent weeks; however, the whole team have stepped up since the winter break, despite having to deal with the adversity of a challenging number of injuries to key players and some big hitters being away on international duty, but the players have dug deep and no more so than Saturday and that late winner against United, however the players are confident simply to embrace the managers philosophy and follow his instructions –
Taylor said: “It was a big win in terms of it being late on and we’re glad to get the three points.
“The gaffer’s always saying what a resolute team we are and most challenges that have been thrown at us we’ve dealt with them.
“So if it takes to whatever minute it takes, that’s how it is.
“The way we adapt to injuries and other setbacks is really important. The gaffer has a philosophy, a way of playing, and everyone knows their role in it when called on.”
“We just try to focus on what we do. The fans got a lift before the game, of course they did but we just try to focus on what we can do on the pitch.
“We want to play our football and try to play it, even though sometimes we didn’t reach the levels we know we can.
“But we kept on fighting until the last minute and we got the result. That’s what you have to do when you believe in the football we want to play – it’s part and parcel.”
“I think it’s just playing entertaining, attacking football. It’s what the fans here demand and it’s something he puts demands on us for.
“Sometimes it might not quite come off but the end aim is to produce something special.”
And Greg Taylor is hoping he’s played his way into the manager’s plans for the Glasgow Derby on Wednesday night at Celtic Park having only started one so far due to injuries, and a 60,000 full house isn’t something Taylor wishes to miss out on –
“I signed the day after a win at Ibrox but I think I’ve only started one.
“I was cup-tied for the League Cup Final when we beat them and since then injuries and whatever means I haven’t been able to sample as many as I’ve wanted.
“So come Wednesday you just hope you get the chance to play.
“It would be special but it’s special for everyone, for the fans who are able to be back in the stadium for a game like this.
“That’s what we always want regardless of who we play, a full Celtic Park and we’ll certainly get it on Wednesday.”
Niall J
