David Turnbull came off the bench to impress again for Celtic at home to Aberdeen on Sunday but you can’t say he’s any closer to becoming a firm fixture in Brendan Rodgers’ starting eleven.
Turnbull has made just seven starts from 18 Celtic matches so far this season. Despite that, he’s managed to power himself onto six goals for the campaign, which is the second-highest tally at the club behind Kyogo Furuhashi.
Three of those goals have come in his last four matches and all of them have been strikes from outside the box, including in the 6-0 rout of the Dons. He’s lethal when given a sight at goal and can be a potent weapon to punish deep-lying defences.
But what does he have to do to take the next step at Celtic, truly impress Rodgers and finally shake free from the fringes of the starting side?
David Turnbull told he needs to show more athleticism at Celtic
For BBC Sportscene pundit Michael Stewart, the midfielder’s talent is not in doubt. But he wants to see more from the physical side of Turnbull’s game.
He said on the programme this week: “I think he’s an absolutely wonderful talent. His striking ability is probably second to none. But when you look at the Celtic midfield you look at the athleticism and the dynamism that they’ve got in the middle of the park. That’s probably the one thing that David Turnbull’s game hasn’t got.
“The game, when he starts, can sometimes sort of drift past him for chunks. If you’re playing in the Celtic midfield… yes, he’s got a great end product and can score wonderful goals but the general build of the game, he’s got to be involved a little bit more if he’s going to cement himself in that position. He’s got the ability. I just wonder if the athleticism is something that’s lacking.”
Turnbull’s contract expires at the end of the season and, while Rodgers has indicated that a deal has been offered to him and that he wants the Scotland international to stay, there’s no real sign it will be extended at this stage. He could well look to seek more regular starting opportunities elsewhere.
The ball is in his court on the contract front, but if he truly wants a prominent future at Celtic, he’ll need to step up to the physical demands of what the manager wants from his midfield – especially against the more difficult opposition sides.
In other news, Celtic take a significant jump up global team rankings despite a difficult month.
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