Former Celtic left-back Andrew Gutman last night slotted home his first ever MLS goal one month after leaving Parkhead.
Gutman was signed alongside Manny Perez during Brendan Rodgers’ time at the club. Perez is still contracted to Parkhead but is currently out on loan with North Carolina.
But after work permit troubles with Gutman, he officially left the club permanently last month. He joined Atlanta United in a permanent deal before being sent out on loan to the New York Red Bulls. This came after an impressive debut season in the MLS with FC Cincinnati on Ohio.
And it appears that Gutman is going from strength to strength back in his homeland. Making only his second appearance for his new club last night, the left-back slotted home a fine effort in the 3-2 loss to LA Galaxy. You can watch it for yourself below:
Andrew Gutman nets impressive goal – unfortunate with how his Celtic career panned out
It’s good to see this from Gutman, he deserves a break given how his Celtic career panned out.
The left-back struggled to bag a work permit, and that was after looking impressive in pre-season for the Hoops back at the start of the 2019/20 season. Under Neil Lennon, Gutman was given three outings during the club’s pre-season trip to Austria.
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In all three of those matches, Gutman showed a willingness to get beyond the winger and be a danger on the overlap. He also proved that he had speed and defensive awareness to track back and know when not to go forward. He was an impressive talent at the time, but we never got to see him make his mark.
Being unable to secure a work permit meant the defender constantly had to stay back in the USA. It robbed Celtic fans of potentially seeing a decent young prospect become our first-choice left-back.
Look at the bother we’ve been having in that position this season too. Both Diego Laxalt and Greg Taylor have struggled to impress throughout the campaign. That spot is still available for a contender who can show his worth.
But in any case, it’s good to see Gutman starting his new move with a goal. Former Celt Cameron Harper came on for the final 29 minutes last night, whilst Patryk Klimala wasn’t part of the matchday squad.