Martin O’Neill singled out Colby Donovan for major praise after Celtic’s 3-0 defeat to Rangers at Ibrox.
Donovan was booked in the first half and had to manage the rest of the game carefully, but O’Neill was impressed by the way he kept going despite Celtic being second best.
Asked whether he had considered making more changes at half-time, particularly with a couple of players already on yellow cards, O’Neill immediately turned the focus towards Donovan.
He said: (TCW), “It could have changed. Me personally, I think young Colby has come out of this with great credit. I think he’s an absolute warrior.
“Sometimes we misplace passes, but he’s got a big heart. I think we can all learn from that. And because of the size of his heart, he was booked in the first half, but he kept going right to the end.
“He was booked against St Mirren after about eight or nine minutes, still kept going. In terms of heart and desire, he’s been a big plus for us.”
That is a strong endorsement from O’Neill, particularly on an afternoon when he was critical of Celtic’s overall level.
Donovan was under pressure for long spells as Rangers pushed Celtic back, but he continued to compete and did not allow the early booking to take him out of the game.
The comparison with the St Mirren match was telling too.
There are still areas of his game to improve, and O’Neill acknowledged that misplaced passes remain part of his development, but the manager clearly believes the attitude and character are already there.
On a day when Celtic offered very little to shout about, Donovan at least gave O’Neill something positive to take from Ibrox.
For a young player still trying to establish himself in the first team, being described as an “absolute warrior” by the manager is no small compliment.
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