The imminent arrival of Kieran Tierney to Celtic has excited the fans for the new season ahead.
For too long, Celtic supporters have been crying out for the left-back position at the club to be strengthened, and with the arrival of Tierney at the end of the season, they now have their wish.
However, with Greg Taylor’s Celtic contract situation still up in the air and Jeffrey Schlupp’s temporary stay in Glasgow coming to an end, Brendan Rodgers will have a conundrum to solve if both players decide to leave the club at the end of the season.
That could mean the Celtic manager may well be forced to dip into the transfer market to find a backup to Tierney in the summer, and that could cost the club a couple of million pounds.
Not necessarily as 67 Hail Hail believes that the answer to the Tierney question is quite literally under the Celtic boss’ nose, and it won’t cost him a single penny.
Photo by Eston Parker/ISI Photos/Getty Images
Photo by Eston Parker/ISI Photos/Getty Images
Celtic Academy graduate Matthew Anderson is the perfect understudy to Kieran Tierney
Matthew Anderson is a product of the Celtic Academy and is currently enjoying his second season on loan at Admira Wacker.
With 35 first-team appearances for the Austrian Bundesliga 2 side, Anderson has been getting vital experience as Admira tops the second-tier league.
With a goal and two assists so far this season, the young Celtic left-back is earning plenty of plaudits as he continues his development away from the Parkhead spotlight.
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Out of contract at Celtic at the end of this season, at 22, Anderson currently has almost 1000 first-team minutes under his belt in Austria and could prove to be the perfect player to come in and be the backup to the a vital position in the Celtic first team.
What’s been said about Matthew Anderson that proves he can make it at Celtic
Many people will point to the Austrian second-tier and rightly say that that level is a far cry from the demands expected at Celtic.
However, Anderson has had glowing reports and who better to listen to than the former Celtic youth team coach who worked closely with him inside Lennoxtown?
Former Celtic coach Greig Robertson couldn’t speak highly enough of the youngster when he said, “We speak about external players hopefully coming in to add to this; there are a few young players out on loan at various clubs right now who could make an impact to that first team depth chart.
“There’s a couple out in Austria just now. I spent a couple of brilliant years with Darren [O’Dea], and I know he’s transitioned into a new role, not coaching this season, but more looking at kind of a pathway and trying to bridge that gap between Academy, B-team and first team and create some partnerships and relationships.
“But Matt Anderson and Ben Summers, two fantastic talents. I mean, Matt Anderson is like a young KT [Kieran Tierney]
“He’s got three lungs, Matty Anderson, he can run all day. Brilliant kids, technically, very good. I know he came over to the first team in the US preseason and got some minutes.”
To be likened to Tierney, surely Anderson has enough about him to come in and learn from the Scotland defender and hopefully, stake a claim for a long-term future at Celtic?