Adam Idah has welcomed the growing competition in Celtic’s frontline, with Shin Yamada expected to join the Hoops over the next week.
The Irish striker, who joined Celtic permanently last summer, spoke about how things have changed up front after Kyogo left for Rennes and Nicolas Kuhn moved to Como.
Kyogo’s move to Rennes in January brought an end to his prolific time at Celtic, while Kuhn’s spell was short-lived before his switch to Como. With both players gone, Brendan Rodgers is now reshaping his forward line, and the expected arrival of Japanese striker Shin Yamada shows he’s keen to add more quality up front.
Idah, who faced plenty of criticism last season despite hitting 20 goals, says he’s not bothered by the extra competition and believes it can only benefit Celtic going forward.
He said: (RecordSport), “Look, the manager’s obviously right. We’ve lost two big players that have contributed loads to the squad.
“So hopefully we can bring in some others that can help us out.
“Last season we had Daizen (Maeda) obviously doing well and myself scored, so we all did our part.
“The guys have left now, so hopefully we can bring some guys in now and go again next season.
“I don’t think anyone’s going to go into a club where there’s no other players in their position, so it’s something I’m obviously used to.
“At the end of the day, we’re a team and we want to win games, win competitions and trophies, and we need the best players we can to do that.
“So I think regardless who we sign, I think the whole team will be happy for it, and they’ll add a really positive quality to the team.”
Yamada’s move from Japan is expected to give Rodgers more options up front. The 25-year-old is seen as a sharp, intelligent striker who can play through the middle or off the shoulder. His arrival would raise the competition for places even more, with Celtic facing a packed schedule at home and in Europe.
Idah’s attitude shows a growing confidence in his place at the club. With Daizen Maeda still offering relentless energy on the wing and Yamada possibly joining the fight, Rodgers looks set to have more variety in attack.
Celtic’s forward line was stretched at times last season. With some key players now gone and others coming in, Rodgers will be looking to strike the right mix, and Idah is making it clear he’s ready to step up.
