Celtic don’t often sign first-team players directly from other Scottish Premiership sides so Luke McCowan’s arrival in the summer transfer window took some by surprise.
At 26, McCowan had only ever played for Ayr United and Dundee, not possessing the experience profile you usually get from new Celtic signings.
That’s not to say he didn’t earn his big move. There can be snobbery about domestic transfers but McCowan was a stand-out in the top flight last season – scoring ten goals and assisting five more.
There’s intrigue about what he can offer Celtic over time and the early signs are good. Not only is he impressing fans – netting his first goal last week against Hearts – but behind the scenes he is fitting in well, too.
Luke McCowan not ‘out of place’ at Celtic
Former Celtic striker Tony Watt says people he’s spoken to at the Bhoys since McCowan’s arrival have given him the thumbs up.
He said [The Warm Up]: “I’ve heard a lot of good things. A lot of boys from Dundee are saying he’ll go there and do well. And whoever I’ve spoken to that’s trained with him since signing says he doesn’t look out of place.
Watt thinks McCowan’s transfer is one of those that shows Brendan Rodgers now has real depth at his disposal which will help Celtic massively as the season progresses.
He continued: “I think managers get scared to work the players too hard, because when you work them hard, you get injuries.
You need to accept that, but a lot of managers, especially at the lower clubs, don’t have the budget to get players in to have replacements for the boys who get injured. But Celtic do it well, they’ve gone and signed McCowan, spent money on Idah to come in for Kyogo.
“They’ve got two top, top players in every position. So he can work them to their max, and if he gets a couple of muscle injuries, he can just get on with it and pick them up again.”
McCowan could make first Celtic start soon
It’s clear that, with Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate and Arne Engels ahead of him, McCowan will primarily play a depth role this year. But he will make starts too.
That first time in the Bhoys eleven could come as early as Sunday against Falkirk in the Scottish League Cup.
Rodgers mentioned his team are carrying a few ‘niggles’ after the hard work put in against Slovan Bratislava and McCowan has the ability to come in and perform against the Championship side.
He’s already shown he is not overawed by the Celtic experience, so let’s see how he can take control of a game as a starter.
