Ranking Celtic’s best players so far this season…
Celtic have raced out of the blocks in lightning quick fashion this season. Unbeaten in their opening eight games with 22 points from a possible 24, it’s very much business as usual on the domestic front.
A campaign that began with many fearing that Brendan Rodgers would fail to meet the standards of the impressive run in his previous spell has instead got off to a near-perfect start. As a result the Bhoys sit top of the pile, seven points ahead of title rivals theRangers in second having already notched up a 1-0 victory in the first Glasgow derby this term over at Ibrox.
Things have not gone as well in Europe with a disappointing result away at Feyenoord followed up with a devastating defeat at home to Lazio when it looked like Luis Palma had won the match for Celtic. On Wednesday night Celtic collected their first point in the Group stages with a 2-2 draw with the highly fancied Atletico Madrid, scoring two wonderful goals from Kyogo and Luis Palma.
The Hoops can take heart from their performances in all three games in the Champions League and know they’re still in the fight for European football past December. With the first section of games setting the stage for the rest of the season, now seems as good a time as any to reflect on some of the best performers for Celtic so far this term.
Here’s our look at some of the top players from Celtic’s opening fixtures to the 2023/24 season….
1. Matt O’Riley – 9.5/10
The Danish International has been the standout player for the Celts so far this season. At just 22-years-old, the midfielder displays a maturity in his play well beyond his years and has become one of the most important figures in Rodgers’ lineup.
He demonstrated his versatility and his ability to perform under pressure last season, stepping into the fold in the absence of Celtic’s talisman Callum McGregor, but this season his performance has gone up to another level. A regular criticism he faced last term was his output in front of goal but in 2023/24 there has been no such concern.
O’Riley is the league’s and Celtic’s top goalscorer alongside Japanese International Kyogo Furuhashi and he also leads the way in assists with three. He has contributed to nearly half of Celtic’s 19 goals in the league thus far and holds the distinction of having created the most chances as well as notching up the most shots.
He poses an attacking threat from anywhere on the pitch and is fast-becoming a vital cog of the Bhoys’ midfield. The performances will take care of themselves, Rodgers’ main task from this point should be keeping him fit and healthy for as long as physically possible at all costs.
He was named as Man of the Match in the 2-2 draw against Atletico Madrid and that performance prompted transfer expert Fabrizio Romano to tweet about O’Riley and point out that his transfer value is now in excess of £25m, the sum Celtic received from their two highest sales (Kieran Tierney and Jota).
🟢✨ Celtic gem Matt O’Riley, MOTM on Wednesday; having a great season with 6 goals, 4 assists as CM.
He also got Denmark NT call up 🇩🇰
Celtic, in a strong position as they just renewed his contract one month ago — it’d be a Scottish record transfer fee for any club interested. pic.twitter.com/qiwfKw0PJb
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 26, 2023
2. Kyogo Furuhashi – 9/10
The latest football tips will often include Kyogo to score and it comes as little surprise. Since arriving in 2021, the 28-year-old Kyogo has established himself as the main man for goals at Celtic Park and that doesn’t look like changing anytime soon.
His dynamism and natural talent have helped him net 61 goals since debuting with seven of those coming in the current campaign. His haul of 34 goals in all competitions last season will need to be replicated again if Celtic are to maintain their grip on the Scottish Premiership and finally reach a knockout stage of European competition this year.
Thankfully, his woes on that European stage appear to be over after he showed great composure in front of goal to neatly finish his chance against Italian outfit Lazio on match-day 2 of the Champions League and added a second Champions League goal on Wednesday night against Atletico Madrid,.
His goal while out on International duty further demonstrates how he has managed to carry his form from last season into the new campaign. He has thus far shown very few signs of faltering and the hope will be that he can stay fit enough to continue the rich vein of form throughout the year and having signed a new long term contract extension in the summer he looks like he’ll make the list of all-time Celtic great strikers who have scored over 100 goals for the club.
3. Liam Scales – 8.5/10
An unlikely name on this list at the beginning of the season, Scales has slotted into Rodgers’ side seamlessly putting in some incredible defensive displays under some strenuous circumstances.
Admittedly it was a bumpy start to the season with speculation rife of a potential move away from Celtic Park following his loan spell with Aberdeen at Pittodrie. Many had suspected he was destined for the exit door but Celtic fans will be more than thankful that he has remained on the books.
The defender’s performances have helped Celtic attain the best defensive record in the league alongside theRangers and Hearts conceding only five goals from the opening eight matches. His form has been so good that the 25-year-old earned his first senior International cap for the Republic of Ireland against Greece in the recent break.
Even Rodgers had admitted that the turnaround was one of the biggest surprises of his managerial career. While the Irishman’s output has been excellent on its own merits, what’s also worth consideration is that it comes at a time when Celtic needed it most. Injuries to Cameron Carter-Vickers, Stephen Welsh and new signing Maik Nawrocki meant Scales was under huge pressure to fill in the gap and has taken to that task expertly.
Brendan Rodgers will now be hoping the defender can maintain that consistency and it certainly looks like he has grown in the short. Against St Johnstone at Celtic Park at the end of August Scales looked a nervous wreck but that’s long gone and on Wednesday night against one of the top sides in European football – Atletico Madrid – he was assured, confident and comfortable at the top level of club football.
4. Callum McGregor – 8/10
While the captain’s performances have gone under the radar so far this season, he has continued to go from strength to strength. The 30-year-old Scotland International has become synonymous with Celtic in years gone by and the reason being his sensational performances with the captain’s armband to date.
His form for club and country has put both teams in a great position for success going forward but people have often underestimated his input for Rodgers’ side this campaign. He is the beating heart of the Celt’s midfield; involved in every facet of the game from start to finish, helping to establish Celtic’s control in the midfield right up to the final whistle.
Calmac is a cut above the rest when it comes to passing accuracy with a 92% completion rate and he also leads the way in total passes with 808. Greg Taylor is next with 802 and after that there is a significant drop-off with Celtic’s standout performer O’Riley clocking in at 552 passes.
He is second to O’Riley in chances created with 12 and has already chalked up three assists this season. If not for the immense performances of the Dane in the Hoops’ engine room, McGregor would likely enjoy an equal share in the plaudits for his tremendous showing this season.
