Paulo Bernardo has been a bit of an unsung hero at Celtic after he first arrived at the club last summer.
Slowly but surely, the 22-year-old has become an underrated player in the team and played a key role in Brendan Rodgers’ winning return to Celtic last season.
From scoring against Rangers at Parkhead to the role he played in the Scottish Cup final triumph, Bernardo has been immense and his level of quality is growing.
That’s why Celtic signed him up permanently this summer from Benfica and when Matt O’Riley joined Brighton, the door was open for Bernardo to start more games.
He got his deserved minutes, including playing a starring role as the Bhoys eased past Rangers in the Glasgow derby before the international break.
But Rodgers opted to drop Bernardo to the bench for the win over Hearts on Saturday, with new boy Arne Engles coming into the XI and scoring a penalty to help Celtic maintain their 100% start to the new season.
Bernardo did come off the bench to replace Reo Hatate just after the hour mark, with Peter Grant liking the fact that the players are pushing each other from within, rather than needing the opposition to do it.
But the Celtic legend admitted that the Portugal U21 international ‘didn’t deserve’ to be dropped for the Hearts match, as he told Go Radio.
Grant acknowledged that Engles did ‘really well’, but he can understand the reasoning behind taking Bernardo out of the XI.
Paulo Bernardo on the bench for Celtic against Hearts
“The players really seem to be on the cusp of something at Celtic, at this moment in time,” said Grant.
“They have got real good quality. And the thing that keeps pushing them, more than anything else, is not the opponents they are playing, it’s the players that are coming in.
“Engles comes in the other day and did really well. But Paulo Bernardo didn’t deserve to be left out. I can understand the reason why – that is the biggest thing Celtic have got. That is their greatest strength, at this moment in time. That’s what will keep them sparked up.”
Celtic in the Champions League
It will be interesting to see if Rodgers continues to rotate ahead of Celtic’s Champions League opener against Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday
The Champions League is revamped and it has a new format. Many Celtic fans believe it has increased their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages, and rightly so!
READ MORE: Kenny Miller explains how it ‘hurts’ to give his ‘genuine opinion’ as he compares Celtic and Rangers
There are two very tasty ties away at Borussia Dortmund and a reunion with Celtic fan John McGinn and Aston Villa.
But the home games, in particular, should deliver the most points, with German side RB Leipzig probably proving to be the toughest gig on paper.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
