David Turnbull fell out of favour last season under Ange Postecoglou. The new 2023/34 campaign, though, provides the Scottish midfielder with a clean slate.
Under Brendan Rodgers so far, Turnbull has looked sharp. He bagged twice in pre-season and his gaffer has been impressed with his displays. Rodgers said (Football Scotland): “Excellent, he was very good. He’s been good in pre-season. I really like him as a footballer – he’s got tools, he’s comfortable on the ball and can score goals. His efficiency is very good.”
Entering the final year of his Parkhead deal, the upcoming campaign is a pivotal one for Turnbull. It remains to be seen whether or not he will pen a new deal in Glasgow’s east end but the praise he received from his manager makes one think he might.
In 2022/23, he was off par but Rodgers admitted it is a fresh start for every player under his stewardship: “A lot of these guys I don’t know, so for me there is a clean slate for them all. It’s assessing over the course of pre-season, what they’ve done in the past doesn’t really matter.”
With the depth in Celtic’s midfield, Turnbull may find minutes hard to come by. The likes of Reo Hatate, Matt O’Riley and Odin Thiago Holm will all compete for his place in the team. His boss will ensure he gets sufficient opportunities to show what he can do, however, as he looks to bounce back from last season and earn a new deal.
