Ange Postecoglou was asked about the progress and versatility of Celtic attacker Sead Haksabanovic today, with the Celtic manager sharing his hopes that the Montenegro international can kickstart his career at the Bhoys.
Haksabanovic joined the club at the end of the summer transfer window and has made eight appearances to date, three of which have come from the start.
One of those came at home to RB Leipzig on Tuesday night, and despite the defeat, Haksabanovic was one of the more promising performers.
Postecoglou said in a press conference today in response to a question on his versatility: “Yeah, it’s very important. It’s one of the reasons we brought him in. We felt like we needed a player who can play both wings and can play, as he has already shown, that advanced midfield position as well.
“Invariably, you don’t know where you’re going to get injuries. For us, they seem to come in clusters of the same positions at times, so having a guy who can fill in on two or three areas is really good. It’s important to our squad structure.
“Besides all of that, he’s a very good player. He’s got some great technical ability. Again, he’s still relatively young, so there’s improvement in him, and he’s really determined. I think he’s embracing the football club. He’s enjoying being here and understands the size of this football club. I think he sees a real opportunity to establish himself here and really get his career going.”
I still feel we’re probably scratching the surface of what Haksabanovic can offer. He’s not scored yet, for starters, despite initial positive signs – so I’d be delighted to see that side of his game flourish.
Getting a consistent run in the team over the next few weeks looks likely now, especially with injuries to Jota and David Turnbull. This could really be the period we start to see him take his game to a new level at the Bhoys.
Postecoglou has consistently sent positive messages regarding his hopes for the player, so the manager clear sees him as one of the core to build around this season. Fingers crossed.
In other news, “The one certainty I do know, particularly in Scotland”; Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou’s VAR prediction.
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