"Incredible players"; Goalscorer Juranovic beams about squad depth after important Celtic win

By Euan Davidson

January 18, 2022

Josip Juranovic might not get the share of the headlines, even after scoring a winner for Celtic last night from the penalty spot against Hibernian.

But judging by what he said after the game, he’s unlikely to mind too much.

The Croatia international was on great form on and off the pitch. After his spot kick in the first half, Celtic looked comfortable and easily dealt with Shaun Maloney’s Hibernian. Then at full-time, he was happy to share the spotlight with the rest of his team.

With the Hoops bringing on some excellent options off the bench, while new Bhoys Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda had excellent debuts, Juranovic asked Celtic’s in-house media “Didn’t you know?” about the quality of the Hoops squad. 

He said [Celtic FC]: “Lads played really well, like whole team.

“Also, [the players who were] on the bench supporting us. I think that we played very well from the first minute to last. Congrats also to the new guys who came in; first game in front of our fans, they played really well.

“[The new players were] incredible. First match and they play really well. I cannot wait to see them in [the] future. Didn’t you know that we are some team? On the bench we also have Ralston… Mikey [Johnston], Giakoumakis, Jota. We have incredible players.”

Celtic penalty specialist Josip Juranovic has it spot on about squad

Last night was just a glimpse at the potential of this team. In a crackling Celtic Park atmosphere that gave the players a massive lift, there was something almost inevitable about Daizen Maeda’s debut goal. Then when Josip Juranovic made it 2, there was no looking back.

Because the Croatian international is right; we have incredible players. The first half last night showed how dangerous Celtic really can be. And remember, with a smattering of debuts and players shaking off the winter rust, there’s much more to come.

In terms of debuts, it couldn’t have been better for Maeda and Hatate. The latter was absolutely everywhere, winning man of the match for his superb first Celtic start. Yosuke Ideguchi, who came on later on, won everything in sight, while distributing the ball with pace and intent.

You add in Giakoumakis, who is coming back to fitness, Jota, Ralston, Kyogo and more…? There’s an excellent squad there, make absolutely no mistake about it.

Ange has been backed, and without breaking the bank, Celtic have added some real quality. All the while, our players with less match fitness are getting back on the horse.

These are exciting times. And the cheeky Josip Juranovic has it absolutely spot on.

Read more: Hollywood star spotted at Celtic Park tonight as Ange’s Bhoys beat Hibernian