Celtic continue to state their Scottish Premiership credentials this term and extended their unbeaten run last weekend with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Motherwell at Fir Park.
Brendan Rodgers made four changes to his line-up from the Bhoys’ draw against Atalanta in midweek, but there was to be no semblance of a European hangover in Lanarkshire.
Despite a shaky early period that saw Lennon Miller go close for the hosts twice, Celtic seized the initiative against Motherwell and went in a goal to the good at the break courtesy of Luke McCowan, who made his first start for the club against Stuart Kettlewell’s outfit.
Alistair Johnston and Adam Idah put the seal on victory after the interval, helping the Hoops to reclaim the advantage in the league standings following Aberdeen’s victory against Dundee United on Saturday night.
Expectation is on Celtic to maintain their Scottish Premiership unbeaten run, and Mark Wilson has highlighted that one of the Bhoys’ new stars is living up to the demands bestowed on his shoulders.
Mark Wilson on Luke McCowan handling Celtic responsibility
Taking to the airwaves on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, Wilson has named Celtic star McCowan as an exemplary figure who is taking to life at Parkhead like a duck to water without letting expectation overawe him.
He explained: “He will, but I thought he did well today; in the time he’s played, he does look like a Celtic player right away, and that can be difficult because sometimes you feel a bit out of place. I know from previous experience you sometimes get a wee bit of imposter syndrome.
“You think ‘, Should I be here? Am I good enough?’ I don’t think Luke McCowan has shown that any time he’s played. I even referenced it before he scored his goal. Today, he had three or four efforts on goal.
“In those circumstances, I saw James Forrest have a go at him one time saying ‘slip me in’, it’s easy then to take the easy option, but you see him when he gets his goal, he understands the ability he’s got and he puts it away nicely. That’s what I like about him; he’s always willing to take that risky pass. I think people think it’s easy playing for Celtic sometimes.
“You go, and you’re playing with the best players, so it’s easy just to fit in, and it’s the opposite because so much is expected from you in terms of the standard of the players. It doesn’t matter if it’s £1 million; they still expect you to be a fully-fledged Celtic first-team player, whether it’s £500,000, £1 million or £11 million.
“You’ve got to give credit to McCowan so far because he’s certainly lived up to that hype he got from the Dundee fans and Tony Docherty. He’s a magnificent player, and he’s shown that in a Celtic jersey so far.”
The numbers behind Luke McCowan’s excellent Celtic start
Alongside McCowan’s two goals in a Celtic jersey, the 26-year-old has created six chances in the Scottish Premiership since arriving through the door for £1 million in the summer window.
Following a series of impressive cameo appearances, he seized his chance to star against Motherwell, taking on four shots, making six passes into the final third and recording a 100% dribble success rate, according to Fotmob.
McCowan is proving that despite his price-tag, he warrants a position in the Celtic engine room regardless of the competition he faces for a starting slot.
Now, the mission for him is to hold down a place in the side, which will be an intriguing watch over the course of the season.
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