OPINION
Celtic fans might have forgotten their club had signed Maryan Shved in the January but they must be looking forward to seeing him in action after Neil Lennon’s latest comments on the winger.
Speaking to the Daily Record [Thursday, 10:01], the interim Hoops boss said he has been impressed with the small amount of action he has seen from the 21-year-old.
“He trained yesterday and looked great,” the manager said. “We unfortunately can’t use him (against Hearts) but he’s a very exciting player and looked right at home with his team-mates. He’s the type of player we enjoy at Celtic.”
Shved was signed by Brendan Rodgers in January for £1.8million from Karparty, but was sent back out on loan to the Ukrainian club and so has not been seen much at Celtic.
From what Lennon has had to say about the player, though, it seems that Shved is the kind of player who can make a real impact at Parkhead.
To be described as a “very exciting player” at 21 years of age will give the youngster a lot of confidence, and to be the “type of player” that fits the typical Celtic profile must also mean he has a lot about him and can offer a great deal to the club going forward.
It will be interesting to see how Celtic manage the player now. It is likely that if Lennon stays on as the permanent manager having taken over from Rodgers, he will send Shved out on loan again, perhaps to a different European destination.
However, there is also a chance that Lennon could decide to implement the 21-year-old into his pre-season plans. If this happens, there is a real chance of him staying around, at least until January.
In any case, Lennon’s comments have got to get Celtic fans looking forward to Shved getting first-team action in the future.