The international break can be dull as a Celtic supporter, but it can also give an insight regarding players across Europe that could be worth profiling.
Fortunately, club football enters the forefront once again this weekend as the Bhoys take on Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership, with both sides vying to put some distance between each other at the summit.
Celtic players who went on international duty had some mixed fortunes. Liam Scales got himself on the scoresheet for the Republic of Ireland against Greece. Meanwhile, Reo Hatate’s lack of minutes with Japan continues to be an unwanted trend.
Regardless, the Bhoys are back in town now that it is over. While the next few months remain paramount, it is also worth keeping in mind that the January transfer window is not too far away for Brendan Rodgers, who will already be contemplating where to add to his side.
Tapping into that school of thought, there is one player elsewhere on the international scene who made a marked impression and also happens to be someone previously linked to Celtic.
Isaac Price is a name Celtic should keep an eye on
Coming through the youth ranks at Everton, Isaac Price opted to leave Goodison Park in 2023 to establish himself at Standard Liege, where he has now gone on to make one shy of 50 appearances.
Intriguingly, Celtic were previously interested in a pre-contract for Price before he moved to Belgium last summer after he played against the Bhoys in the Sydney Super Cup.
Capable of playing in central midfield or on either flank, the Northern Ireland international’s name has shot to prominence amid scoring a hat-trick against Belarus last night, including a stunning strike that can be seen below.
In terms of his club form, Price has put in some impressive performances across the new campaign. Stat-trackers Fotmob show he has taken on 18 shots so far this campaign with eight hitting the target.
On the same token, he has created seven chances and had 22 touches in the opposition box, showing an intent to break between the lines. Defensively, he has also stood up to scrutiny, with the Pontefract-born man winning 38 duels, 12 aerial battles and making 40 recoveries.
Coming under the bracket of an all-action midfielder willing to take a risk, Celtic were on the right lines with monitoring his situation in 2023, and he may be someone to keep an eye on if he continues to develop at the same rate.
That being said, it remains to be seen the direction the club will take in future recruitment following events earlier today.
Paul Tisdale’s message as Celtic’s Head of Football Operations
Paul Tisdale was appointed as Celtic’s Head of Football Operations earlier today and has made his priorities clear after entering the role.
He explained: “In my role I will be doing all I can to further develop our work across talent identification, development and analytics, always with the aim of ensuring high-level support of football performance.”
“Having knowledge already of Celtic, I know there are so many quality, authentic people at the club all pulling in the same direction and passionate for success.”
With Tisdale now the go-to-guy for Celtic regarding transfers, it remains to be seen how he will help Brendan Rodgers shape the landscape of future potential incomings.
One thing is for certain, Price may be worth a solid mention amid his impressive recent burst onto the scene.
