LAST SUMMER Ange Postecoglou made over a dozen additions to the Celtic side after arriving in Glasgow in mid-June.

It was a hectic few months, with the manager needing to rebuild a full team and play Champions League qualifiers just weeks into his reign as Celtic manager.

He made some signings from unknown leagues but has admitted his additions from Europe’s more well-known divisions were deemed risky by the manager.

Surprisingly, the manager stated in the Scottish Football Sessions podcast that Joe Hart, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jota were “risky” transfers. The Aussie boss said;

“The risky transfers for me were the likes of Joe Hart, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jota because there was a different scenario around all of them.

“More to me was how are they going to adapt to life up here playing for this football club. Because of what I had seen in the history of this club, players of a very good pedigree had come up here and struggled, so for me, that was going to be where the biggest risk lay.”

In the end, the signings were arguably some of the best. Joe Hart added some quality and leadership to Celtic’s starting team; his experience throughout last season with so many new younger players joining the squad was invaluable.

Carter-Vickers was a rock at the back and was terrific throughout the season, developing a great partnership with Carl Starfelt.

Jota added a touch of class to the side; it’s hard to put into words just how good Jota is. Like Cater-Vickers, he joined Celtic permanently this summer.

It goes to show that what are risky transfers can have a high reward. The manager is never afraid to take risks, and I think we’re all glad of that!