Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers was full of praise for Luke McCowan after the midfielder delivered a stellar performance in the 5-0 demolition of Ross County at Parkhead.
Despite limited opportunities this season, McCowan seized his chance in the starting XI, earning glowing compliments from Rodgers, who described him as “brilliant” and perfectly suited to Celtic’s high-tempo style.
The summer £1 million addition got himself on the scoresheet and set up his teammates three times, making that price tag look like a bargain yet again.
Rodgers made six changes to the team that faced Club Brugge midweek, showcasing the depth of Celtic’s squad. Speaking after the match, he said that every player in his rotation is capable of starting: [RecordSport]
“The players who came in, they’re all starters. Scales can start, Alex Valle can start, the two eights (McCowan and Bernardo) can start, Idah can start. And James Forrest is just James Forrest. So they’re all starters and they know that. They know I trust them and they know the demands here – and the hunger required.
“Listen, we got booed off in a game here last year after we won 1-0. So I know at Celtic, it’s not just about the scoreline, it’s about the performance. And I think we have great consistency now. This team is evolving and developing. These games can be tricky after the high of a Champions League game but the energy and quality we showed was really pleasing.
“Luke has been unfortunate not to play more. But he’s totally ingrained in the touch-pass tempo we play at. He was absolutely brilliant today. It feels really good at the minute but it’s a credit to the club in the summer in terms of the support we had in bringing in the players we wanted.”
Celtic have a busy run of upcoming fixtures, which include high-stakes matches against Aberdeen, Hibs, Dinamo Zagreb, and Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup Final.
There’s no international break until March, so Celtic are getting a good run at it.
As Celtic heads into a defining run of fixtures, Rodgers’ faith in players like McCowan will be important. McCowan’s performance against Ross County not only demonstrated his readiness but also underlined the strength of a squad capable of competing on multiple fronts.
Like McCowan, Valle, Scales, Bernardo and Idah stepped in and impressed.
