John Hughes has heaped incredible praise on Celtic loan bhoy Leo Hjelde and seriously believes this lad has all the right credentials to be the next Virgil van Dijk.

The Norweigan youngster signed a contract extension before heading out on loan to Ross County this season and John Hughes has been gushing over the defender.

Hughes couldn’t praise the centre-back enough for Leo’s contribution to the Staggies season and as a self-admitted ‘Celtic man’, John said he would love to see Leo turn out for Glasgow Celtic and play a big part in the club’s future.

He said: “I 100% believe he will reach the Premier League. Leo is going to be the next Virgil Van Dijk, trust me on that, trust me. He has got a lot to learn but for being a young kid, to come on loan during Covid in this climate, what he’s produced has been absolutely fantastic.

“He has still got a lot of learning but before he came here Leeds United were after him. I think he signed an extension to his Celtic contract for this loan to go through. He is going to be a centre-back but he can play left-back.

“Everything a loan does for a kid, playing competitive football every week, trying to win every week, playing men’s football, standing up to it and the disappointments. There have been one or two occasions he could have done better but that’s part of it. It’s been a wonderful experience for Leo.

“He is a good kid, a good professional. At this moment in time he has picked up a wee virus but thankfully it’s not Covid-19. It has knocked him back a wee bit. But once he’s over that, he will challenge again. But I take my hat off to him and he’s got a massive future.”

 

“I am a wee bit of a Celtic man and I would love to see him make his debut for Glasgow Celtic and become a regular. I would love nothing more than to go along to Parkhead and see Leo run out there.

“That’s why we are so grateful to Celtic for allowing that. Everybody has benefited and that is my wish. Hopefully Leo can play a part in keeping Ross County in the Scottish Premiership and then the next time we see him, he is playing for Celtic. If not, if they decided he’s got a bit more development to do, it’s something we might look at next season.”

John Hughes would not go overboard if he didn’t think Celtic had a star in the making. The interest from Leeds is clear indication scouts are paying attention to this young lad.

There’s every chance Leo comes back to Celtic at the end of this season and becomes part of the squad going forward.

We need a mix of youth and experience next season and Leo could help usher in a new era at the club.

It’s up to a new manager to get the best out of the defender and develop him.

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