FORMER Celtic striker Scott McDonald is anticipating great things from Hoops frontmen Kyogo Furuhashi and Giorgos Giakoumakis in the new season.
The one-time Australia international hitman, who made 26 appearances for his country, insists the Japanese star, a £4.6million buy from Vissel Kobe in July, was on his way to 30-plus goals before a hamstring injury sidelined him for 17 consecutive games after the turn of the year.
And the Greek forward got off to a false start with only one strike in the first half of the campaign before clicking into gear after overcoming a knee problem in the second part of the term.
NUMBER TWENTY…Kyogo Furuhashi prepares to wallop in his second goal – and 20th of the season – in the 6-0 win over Motherwell at Parkhead last month.
Kyogo completed the season with 20 goals while Giakoumakis collected 17 to make him joint top scorer in the Premiership alongside Ross County’s surprise packet Regan Charles-Cook who has since switched to Belgium.
McDonald, who claimed 64 goals in his three years at Parkhead after joining from Motherwell in 2004, told Celtic TV: “I’m excited to see what Kyogo is going to bring this season because we only saw a half-a-year.
“So, if we can see a fully-fledged, fully-fit Kyogo in the next season, my goodness!
“He was certainly on his way to, 30-plus goals and being probably Player of the Season even in that short space of time that he’d had at beginning of the season and winning the League Cup for Celtic,”
McDonald added: “I really like Giakoumakis.
NUMBER SEVENTEEN…Giorgos Giakoumakis celebrates his second strike against Motherwell in the final Premiership encounter of the season.
“He just wants goals. He talks about the end of the season and not finishing (the club’s) top scorer and being disappointed by that.
“He’s just hungry.”
Ironically, the Greek raider completed the previous season as the Eredivisie’s top marksman with 26 strikes, but he couldn’t prevent his club, VVV-Venlo, dropping out of the top flight.
His first season at Celtic after his £2.5million arrival ended on a much more satisfying note.
Now former fans’ favourite McDonald, 38, is expecting fireworks from the double-act in the new campaign.
