Brendan Rodgers’ second spell as Celtic manager is going pretty smoothly.
This current crop still has a long way to go to match what Rodgers produced and won in his first spell, but one thing is for sure, they are certainly on track.
That’s proven by Celtic’s three trophies in 2024 – the Premiership title, the Scottish Cup and League Cup final triumph.
Added to that, the Bhoys are still unbeaten on the domestic stage and have only dropped points twice – at home to Aberdeen and away at Dundee United.
Another key reason why this current crop is flying and heading towards writing their legendary status is because of the depth in quality in Celtic’s squad now.
It’s as deep and as talented as it has ever been, with Pat Bonner wanting to give flowers to one man who produces whenever he is handed a chance.
Pat Bonner says Anthony Ralston ‘never lets Celtic down’
Not even Anthony Ralston will argue that Alistair Johnston deserves to be Celtic’s number one choice right-back because he has been consistently outstanding.
But Ralston has always done his job whenever he has been handed a chance, including during Celtic’s 4-0 win over Motherwell on Boxing Day.
Despite returning to the bench for the win over St Johnstone on Sunday, Bonner wanted to highlight Ralston’s efforts, what he brings to the table and how he has done ‘really well’ in his career for his boyhood club, as he told BBC Radio Scotland.
“Tony Ralston will never let them down,” said Bonner. “He always does well in there. He doesn’t have the same maybe attacking prowess as Alistair Johnston.
“But certainly, from a defensive aspect, he sits there and he keeps the ball moving. For a young homegrown talent, he has done really well in his career.”
Ralston’s stats for Celtic this season
The 26-year-old is heading towards near a decade since he first donned the colours of the Hoops and during that time he has secured 12 trophies.
Given how this current campaign is going, then there is every chance he will add two more to his tally, with the title practically wrapped up even before the Christmas lights went up.
Ralston has mainly been a bench player for Celtic this term, but WhoScored have still rated him in a respectable manner.
| Tournament | Apps | Mins | Tackles | Clear | Goals | Assists | MotM | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premiership | 3(7) | 371 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6.66 |
| Champions League | 0(3) | 62 | 1.3 | 0.7 | – | – | – | 6.42 |
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