BRENDAN RODGERS is keenly monitoring Anthony Ralston as he plans for Wednesday’s League Cup quarter-final against Dundee at Dens Park.
And then the Celtic manager will turn his attention to the Premiership visit to Ibrox to take on Sevco Rangers on Saturday.
Ralston played in the Champions League disappointment against Paris Saint-Germain last week and kept the right-back berth for the 4-0 win over Ross County at the weekend.
The academy graduate, who scored his first Hoops goal in the 5-0 League Cup victory over Kilmarnock in August, came close to adding another with a crashing shot that thumped against the Highlanders’ woodwork.
Ralston has immediately become a fans’ favourite, but Rodgers, mindful of the hype, was swift to serve a reminder that there is still plenty of work to be done before he is the finished article.
The Irishman insisted: “He is improving, but he needs to get better with his serving of the ball.
“Defensively, he is very strong, very committed and, of course, supporters love that.
“But he will have watched Dani Alves the other night hardly give the ball away and Tony was a bit hit and miss with his passing against Ross County.
“He needs to improve that element of his game – when to run with it, when to pass it, when to dribble it.
“But that all comes with experience and he has a great mentality. He wants to improve, he wants to get better.
“To have played two performances like he has done this week shows we are gaining a player for the now but also for the future.
“At 18 years of age, there is still a lot of work to do, but he is showing great signs.“
NEW CQN PODCAST OUT NOW, BEHIND THE SCENES AT HAMILTON v CELTIC WITH BT SPORT AND AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS SUTTON – LISTEN BELOW
NOW ONLY £10 at CQNBookstore.com
