Celtic’s David Turnbull on his best position; Hoops may have found their Brown replacement

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Celtic midfielder David Turnbull has answered where he believes his strongest position is.

The new signing from Motherwell, who has yet to make his Hoops debut, was a constant in the engine room of Stephen Robinson’s Steelmen when fit.

However, for those who haven’t seen much of him, it may be difficult to pinpoint just how he operates in the midfield. With a goal return of 16 in 41 games for Motherwell, it stands to reason that Turnbull can operate efficiently as a number 10 (Transfermarkt).

But speaking in the Daily Record, Turnbull has provided some clarity on what’s most comfortable for him.

“I’d take any position but I’d probably say a number eight or number 10 box-to-box position. I like to do it all – I believe in my ability. I feel like I can come here and make an impact.

“I always believed in my ability. After the injury, not much changed. It was always in my head that I would come back and be the same player. I just took it day by day.

“I’ll never take anything for granted ever again, training, playing games, everything about football. I want to take in everything that happens, on and off the park, and just enjoy it as much as I can, and not look back.”

A chance to mould our Scott Brown replacement

If Turnbull feels comfortable operating as a number eight, that could finally give us an opportunity to mould our Scott Brown replacement.

Granted, Turnbull’s game differs so much from the captain’s. In recent years, Brown has operated in a more defensive area of the pitch and used his experience to try and protect the back four.

But when he first signed and for large spells of his Celtic career, Brown was a box-to-box operator who looked to do damage at both ends of the pitch. That’s exactly what we need from our replacement, and that’s what Turnbull could very well be.

This isn’t a player who only does the flashy stuff either. He’s not someone who’s sole goal on a football pitch is to get into the box and get his name in the back pages with a winning goal or assist.

Turnbull is no stranger to the rough stuff. He has an appropriate level of aggression, as well as good link-up play with those around him. His game-intelligence also enables him to often break up opposition play. He is, to an extent, what Brown used to be like in his younger days.

Yes, Brown’s former pace maybe isn’t reflected in Turnbull’s skillset, but they’re never going to be totally like for like. But the captain’s time at Parkhead is coming to an end sooner rather than later – hopefully Turnbull is the replacement we’ve been longing for.

In other news, loan star Vakoun Bayo has set himself two targets after leaving Celtic for Toulouse this summer.