Joe Hart has admitted that he’s been “really impressed” with the quality of exciting Celtic talent David Turnbull.
Turnbull made a name for himself at Parkhead last season despite it generally being a season to forget for the Hoops. Turnbull managed to break into the first-team last term, bagging himself nine goals and eight assists in green-and-white [Transfermarkt].
His form led to a Scotland call-up for this summer’s Euro 2020 tournament. Disappointingly, however, manager Steve Clarke didn’t give him a single minute of action at the competition.
Hart, who has a wealth of experience as an England international to his name, has urged patience from Turnbull with regards to his Scotland ambitions. But he also moved to big up the Celtic talent as he admits to having been taken aback by his skillset after arriving under Ange Postecoglou.
As quoted by the National, the new Celtic goalkeeper said: “I have been really, really impressed with David. He has done really well. He plays with a lot of maturity in midfield. It is quite frantic that midfield if you are not a good player. Callum (McGregor) and Tom (Rogic) cope with it really well too. There is a nice fluidity about what they are doing.
“I know what it takes at international level. I am not that familiar with the Scottish set-up, but I do know that I really like David as a player.
“Obviously he knows if he has been to a tournament and hasn’t got any football that he is going to have to keep working. He is a young player. Every single one of us, including myself as an older player, has to get their heads down. We have got to graft, we have got to work. The only way that he is going to be knocking on that door if is we are doing well here.”
Joe Hart already admiring the quality of David Turnbull
It’s perhaps going over the top to say Turnbull has started the 2021/22 campaign in great form. His double against Jablonec on Thursday night was his first direct goal contribution of the season.
However, at the same time, we know that Turnbull can be the complete package when on form. He has an extensive passing range that was on show consistently last season, as well as an eye for a goal that Celtic have profited on.
But Turnbull can also be a ball-winner/midfield grafter when needed. He isn’t solely skilled with attacking attributes. He does his bit for the team defensively also and has proven to be such a key signing for the club.
Why he wasn’t used on international duty is anyone’s guess. Whilst Ryan Christie has returned to Parkhead in form, he certainly wasn’t heading into the summer. Yet Clarke featured him regularly over Turnbull, who outshone Ryan for large spells of the 2020/21 campaign.
Of course, it’s easy to forget just how young Turnbull is. At only 22, he’ll have plenty of opportunities to go to major tournaments in the future. Plenty of time for him to make his mark on the Scotland national team.
And given how impressed Hart appears to be by him, he can certainly get to an elite level in the not too distant future.
In other news, Watch reported Celtic target Siriki Dembele bag 100th-minute for Peterborough against Derby
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