David Turnbull is a player that arrived at Celtic with a lot of promise back in August 2020. After his initial move to the club fell through the previous summer due to a medical issue, Neil Lennon waited it out and finally got his man once he resolved his fitness concerns.
He made an immediate impact at the club, showcasing his technical ability, vision, and goal-scoring prowess from midfield. Turnbull’s passing range and ability to contribute with goals and assists made him an immediate fans favourite.
His performances in his first season won him Celtic’s Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year in a season that was bereft of any positivity as Celtic’s bid to seal the ten in a row failed miserably.
Turnbull’s excellent form continued into the Ange Postecoglou era but the 24-year-old suffered a hamstring injury that all but effectively ended his season. By the time he recovered, Reo Hatate and Matt O’Riley were bossing the Celtic midfield and Turnbull has had to wait for his opportunity.
And to be fair to him, even though his minutes were limited, he took his chances last season. Turnbull made 38 appearances, scoring five goals, creating seven and the goal that we witnessed this morning against Yokohama F Marinos is one that we have seen time and time again from the Scottish international.
Turnbull’s contract expires at the end of the coming season and regular readers of 67 Hail Hail will know that I have been championing the midfielder for a new contract extension.
Now, I’m not saying Turnbull will be a first-team regular for Celtic, but as a player coming off the bench, he can offer us a different option. And his keen eye to dig out a goal from nothing cannot be taken for granted.
How often do we watch Celtic try to walk the ball into the back of the net when it is clear that shooting from distance should be the option taken? Turnbull has that skill in his locker and we saw it again this morning. You can view his goal here.
Turnbull is a confidence player. Brendan Rodgers has a knack for inspiring players and turning them into winners. We saw him do it at Celtic in his first period when he kicked on Scott Brown’s Celtic career and helped turn Kieran Tierney into an international fullback.
At Turnbull’s age, there is time on his side to improve and become an effective part of Celtic’s first-team squad. And, under Brendan Rodgers, you wouldn’t bet against that happening in the coming season.
In other news, Brendan Rodgers praises Tomoki Iwata for performance in unfamiliar Celtic role
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