FORMER Celtic defender Darren O’Dea reckons ex-Dundee team-mate Jack Hendry’s arrogance will help him become a top-class player.
The 22-year-old centre-half, who arrived at Dens Park in the summer from Wigan, agreed a four-and-a-half year deal with the champions in January and made an impressive Scotland debut in the 1-0 win in Hungary on Tuesday night.
Tayside skipper O’Dea, 31, said: “Jack is borderline arrogant! He has an ego, but top players need it.
You need it at a club like Celtic and, believe me. when things don’t go right there you will need all that bravado.
“I probably had it when I was his age. I thought I could beat the world and thought no-one was right but me.
“That drive you had and that focus, as long as it is on the right side, can be fantastic, it can be a massive strength and he certainly has a lot of belief in himself.
“I love players who make comments like that, but as long as they back it up.
“He is at a fantastic club, but a lot of credit needs to go to Dundee, who gave him a chance when he had stalled a bit for whatever reason.
“I hopes he goes on and has a good career with Scotland. He is young enough and he has got everything you would want in a modern-day centre-back.
“It is how much he wants it and wants to improve. If you can’t improve at a club like Celtic, you won’t improve anywhere.”
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