Owen Beck continues to be linked with Celtic after coming close to joining the Bhoys from Liverpool in the January window before it fell through.
The Welsh full-back saw the move collapse due to being fielded by Jurgen Klopp in the Reds’ victory over Bournemouth in January. As such, he wasn’t able to feature for a third club last term and subsequently headed back to Dundee to see out the campaign.
His performances on Tayside under Tony Docherty made him a fan favourite among the Dens Park faithful. Overall, Beck registered two goals and four assists in 28 appearances across all competitions, capping a breakthrough season in senior football.
Celtic remain interested in the 22-year-old, who is also the subject of talks with Queens Park Rangers over a loan switch. Several EFL clubs are keen on a temporary deal for the left-back, but Liverpool favour a permanent sale, and the Bhoys want him on that basis.
Docherty has now spoken out about why he was a revelation under his management at Dundee in 2023/24.
Tony Docherty on Owen Beck’s qualities
Speaking to The Celtic Way, Docherty believes Beck’s competitive performances against Celtic winger Daizen Maeda last season helped his rise to prominence while he also offered insight into the offensive threat he provides on the left-hand side of defence.
He explained: “Owen’s breakthrough games for Dundee were probably against Celtic. He was outstanding against Daizen Maeda when he played against him. We always knew he was great going forward but we wanted to see how he would cope against a powerful winger and how he would deal with that. He did well against Meada on both occasions he faced him up.
“Owen’s best form of defence is attacking when you actually watch him play. He is so tenacious and he is great going forward. He puts opposition wide players on the back foot when it is usually meant to be the other way around.
Later, he added: “He made such a good impression on everybody at the club, including the staff and the supporters. He is still really close with a lot of his teammates at Dens Park, as they are all around the same age, and they are all good, young, talented football players with a lot in common. He is such a brilliant boy and I can’t speak highly enough of him during the time I managed him at Dundee.
Celtic’s need for competition at left-back
Without repeating the feelings of the fan base too much, Celtic need someone to push Greg Taylor for his starting slot this season.
The Scotland international is Brendan Rodgers’ only senior left-back, so reinforcements must be added in that area to provide added competition and accommodate potential injuries.
With that in mind, Beck is a viable candidate for the job at hand. His career is on an upward trajectory, but a move away from Anfield is the most sensible course of action to continue his development.
Celtic have the power to offer him an exciting new challenge, but it still remains to be seen whether there will be progress on that front.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
