Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers shared his thoughts on the Hoops’ latest signing, Jeffrey Schlupp, who joined on loan for the remainder of the season on deadline day.
Schlupps’s arrival adds much-needed depth to the Celtic squad ahead of the Scottish Premiership clash with Dundee tomorrow night at Celtic Park.
Having lost Alex Valle earlier this month, Celtic were in the market for a left-back until the end of the season, when Kieran Tierney will rejoin the Hoops. Schlupp, who can also play out wide on either flank in midfield, is an experienced player with an impressive CV in the English Premier League.
Schlupp spent 12 years at Leicester City, coming through the youth system before winning the English Premier League with the Foxes in 2016. He left for Crystal Palace a year later.
Interestingly, he did not work with Rodgers at Leicester, with the Irishman taking over as manager in 2019. However, Rodgers has still kept a close eye on the Ghanaian’s career.
Rodgers said: (Celtic FC YouTube), “Well, I think, firstly, his mentality will fit in with the culture here. I’ve never worked with Geoffrey before, but I’ve come across him. Obviously, he came through at Leicester City as a young player and won the league there.
“The guys I remember speaking to him at that time talked about what a good guy he was and what a fantastic player he was. He was multifunctional for them—Incredible pace and power.
“He offers a great option for us in a couple of positions. He’s naturally left-sided, and his physicality is really good—Premier League physicality, running power, touching the ball, and, of course, the experience.
“Greg’s been brilliant for us this season, but when I look back, we didn’t bring in a left-back to cover him last season. I went with Scales as the cover left-back, but I didn’t want to take that risk this January.”
When asked ‘Will he be involved tomorrow?’
Rodgers said: “Yes. Yes, well, hopefully. Hopefully, he will be. So, yes, he’s ready to go. Good, you know, a really good level of fitness. And like I said, he’ll really enjoy playing at this club.”
Schlupp’s arrival, although not met with a lot of fanfare, may be vital for the second half of the season. He can cover a number of positions, and with his experience in the English Premier League, he has consistently played at a good level.
His pace and physicality are something that not many players in the Celtic squad currently possess, making him an interesting signing with the new dimension he will add.
Having not played a lot of football over the last six months, Schlupp will be hopeful that his time at Celtic will be positive, with the chance to impress.
His current Crystal Palace deal expires in the summer, and if he is successful over the next three months, he could be signing permanently in the summer to compete with Kieran Tierney for the left-back slot in the starting 11 next season.
