Brendan Rodgers, in his second stint as Celtic manager, has wasted no time in making his first signing, securing highly-rated Norwegian youngster Odin Thiago Holm.
Rodgers attributes this swift action to the revamped transfer structure at Parkhead, which he believes has significantly improved since his first tenure.
The Celtic boss has noticed substantial changes since his return to Lennoxtown. He was confirmed as manager on Monday and by Thursday, Holm had been added to his squad. This streamlined process is a testament to the new transfer structure at Celtic, which is now driven by a dedicated team constantly scouting global markets.
A key figure in this new structure is Mark Lawwell, who joined Celtic from the City Group a year ago and now heads First Team Scouting and Recruitment. Rodgers praised Lawwell’s work, saying: [Celtic TV]
“Mark [Lawwell] has done a brilliant job with the recruitment – you can see the market the club is operating in.
“He’s done a great job bringing in the players which fit the profile of Celtic.
“Odin is one of those.
“I like his technical quality – he’s dynamic, young and hungry. He’s also got speed.
“I had a good chat with him on Monday and he’s determined to do well.”
Rodgers also had a conversation with CEO Michael Nicholson about the recruitment structure. This discussion likely reassured Rodgers, who, during his first stint, felt he wasn’t in control of transfers. Now, with the promise of greater involvement in transfer decisions, Rodgers seems more confident in the club’s recruitment strategy.
“One thing I’ll start by saying the recruitment team – Michael [Nicholson] took me through the structure.
“Since I was here I can see the clear change in the infrastructure and the team behind the football team.”
