New Celtic B team starlet Ciaran Dickson has been given a glowing review by manager Tommy McIntyre after his goalscoring debut for the club yesterday.
Celtic’s second string faced off against Greenock Morton in the Challenge Cup. Unfortunately, the game ended in a 3-1 defeat against stern Championship opposition. But notably, Dickson managed to net on his debut with a first-half strike.
It came only four days after he signed for Celtic after being released by Rangers over the summer. Ibrox manager Steven Gerrard once stated the midfielder was “terrific” in his one cameo appearance for the Rangers A team against Falkirk last season [The Scotsman].
And it’s clear that McIntyre also likes what he’s seen from him so far. Despite the B team boss trying to tame expectations for now, he couldn’t help but show his excitement with the signing.
As quoted by the Scottish Sun, McIntyre said: “He’s got the personality to handle the move [from Rangers]. I don’t want to go too much on Ciaran but there have been players in the past on either side who have done that.
“Ciaran made an impact but we need to be careful with him. He’s just come in and I thought he did well. He will get better and better. He’s a top player and will be a big acquisition for us. But he’s just come in and we need to give him a bit of time to settle.”
Ciaran Dickson needs protected and supported after leaving Ibrox for Celtic Park
McIntyre is absolutely spot on to call for level heads here. Regardless of whether Dickson is a big talent or not, he needs the time and support to get used to the major move he’s just made.
It doesn’t matter if he’s only a B team player at the moment. Mentally, it takes a lot for a player to cross the Glasgow divide. Especially one that’s come through the youth ranks at one club only to switch to the other. Dickson has had the courage to do just that, and now he needs time to adapt.
At only 19, the youngster has plenty of time to get used to things with McIntyre’s side before he’s hammering on the first-team door. Celtic clearly view him as one for the future, and therefore the early expectations should be calmed.
The Scotland under-19 international can play in centre-midfield and even has the capability to play on the right too. That kind of versatility is something that Ange Postecoglou will be attracted to in the long-term. But it’s all about how he performs on a consistent basis with the B side.
Dickson will naturally attract heavier interest in his progress due to the nature of the move. Celtic supporters would love nothing more than to make a player of someone their rivals failed to do so. However, only McIntyre and Postecoglou will know the current level he’s operating at.
Netting against Morton was a fine start, but for now, it’s time to leave him with the B team to get a solid run of performances under his belt. The excitement McIntyre has for him, of course, is clear to see.
In other news, Davie Provan claims Leigh Griffiths’ Celtic career is over
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