Celtic told Brendan Rodgers taken by ‘surprise’ with Hoops star, he could have ‘unearthed a diamond’

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There has been a lot of change at left-back for Celtic in recent times.

Only last summer, Brendan Rodgers was going into the new season with Greg Taylor, Alex Valle and Alexandro Bernabei as his left-sided options.

But fast forward to the present, and all three are out of the door, including Taylor, who joined PAOK on a free this summer.

That now leaves Kieran Tierney as Celtic’s bona fide left-back, after he returned to his boyhood club when his contract at Arsenal expired at the end of June.

Many thought Rodgers would probably scour the transfer market for another left-back option, but perhaps he has already found the answer in the way he never thought he would.

• READ MORE: ‘The best defender we had’ – Brendan Rodgers and Celtic criticised for letting player leave

Hayato Inamura has taken Brendan Rodgers by ‘surprise’ at Celtic

Hayato Inamura joined Celtic from Albirex Niigata this summer, after he made his professional debut in 2024, and he prefers to play at centre-back.

But Rodgers has used Inamura at left-back in pre-season, and Hugh Keevins noted how he has taken his manager by ‘surprise’ with his performances.

Speaking on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, Keevins explained that, despite Rodgers’ possible ‘dismissive’ comments about the player, things have now changed, and how he might have ‘unearthed a diamond.’

“Inamura is a very, very interesting one, for me,” said Keevins. “We understand that the fee was in the region of £250k, which is loose change for Celtic.

“But I think he has taken Brendan Rodgers by surprise. He (Rodgers) wasn’t far off it (of being dismissive of Inamura when he first joined).

“Like Russell Martin, Brendan can only go off on what he sees, and clearly, Inamura has taken him by surprise. I would be surprised if Celtic put him out on loan, because he may just be a diamond you have unearthed.”

What did Rodgers first say about Inamura?

When Inamura first joined, everyone thought he had come in to challenge the under-pressure duo of Liam Scales and Auston Trusty for starting spots.

Some even questioned whether they would see the Japan star, as Rodgers had already hinted that the player would be loaned out.

Rodgers told BBC Sport about whether Inamura would go straight into the first team: “No, he won’t be. He’s a part of the investment of the club.”

However, since Inamura has not only started pre-season matches but also impressed, including against Newcastle United last time out.

It seems as though Celtic have found a challenger for Tierney.