Ex-Celtic midfielder Billy Stark has told that he was impressed by summer recruit Kundai Benyu after he came up against his East Kilbride side last week.
The 19-year-old midfielder made the switch to Parkhead earlier in the summer following the expiration of his contract at English Championship club Ipswich.
His only experience of first team football to date has come in the English non-leagues with Aldershot and there is little known of the new Hoops teenage signing.
However, Stark was very impressed by Benyu, who scored in a 3-1 win for the Celtic development squad last week against East Kilbride and has told that he has the attributes to become a star.
“He looks to have all the attributes managers look for in modern players. He has that physicality and he is quick as well,” told Stark, as quoted by the Daily Record.
“I don’t want to go overboard about the lad but he looked the part. I heard Brendan on the radio after Saturday saying he’d changed his mind about sending him out on loan, so he must have made a big impression.
“It was obviously early for the lad as he’d only signed a couple of days previously. It was a very good Celtic side with talented young players who are clearly in the groove. But it was clear he fitted in with them nicely.
“He managed to score – although it might not have been the cleanest of contacts – and he moved the ball about nicely.
“It was a satisfactory debut and by all accounts he looked the part against Lyon. You can see what Celtic see in him but it’s a huge step up to the first team at Celtic.”
Benyu’s move is very similar to that of now Celtic teammate Moussa Dembele’s, who completed a move from English Championship side Fulham last summer for a compensation fee after his contract had also expired.
Hoops supporters will be hoping that the midfielder can be half as successful as the prolific Frenchman, but with stars Stuart Armstrong and Scott Brown also in the centre of the park it will certainly prove a challenge for Benyu to break into the team.
Meanwhile, Brendan Rodgers and his team will be looking to replicate last season’s treble-winning success.