Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has delivered a mixed review of his new signings’ performances during their debut at Paradise in the testimonial match honouring James Forrest.

The match, which ended in a 3-2 victory for Celtic against Athletic Club, provided a valuable platform for the fresh faces to showcase their talents before the Celtic faithful.

“I think some coped better than others,” Rodgers admitted to Celtic TV, acknowledging the immense pressure and expectations that come with being a Celtic player. “That’s the nature of it when you come to a huge club; we all know how heavy the jersey is and the demands of being a Celtic player. That’s what you have to cope with.”

Rodgers singled out a few of the newcomers for their impressive performance during the match. “I thought Maik Nawrocki, for the first time, was excellent. Odin Thiago Holm was very good in the second half, along with Matt O’Riley in midfield. Those two were very good. I thought Yang Hyun-jun was excellent on the outside.”

Notably, the manager hasn’t mentioned Kwon, who made his first start in the Hoops. After impressing against Wolves, and looking like he could be a top signing for Celtic, but he failed to impress against Athletic Club. He was actually quite poor throughout the first half, and just couldn’t get anything to work out for him.

He shouldn’t be written off yet, every player has their off game – Hatate did on Tuesday night too.

Rodgers also expressed his satisfaction over the return of Anthony Ralston, who made a strong comeback after a prolonged absence due to injury. “It was also great to see Anthony Ralston come back. He played really well after being out for a long time.”

Reflecting on the overall performance of his new signings, Rodgers felt optimistic. “I think the new guys settled in well. They get a sense of what it is like to play here and, obviously, that expectation only grows.”