With Celtic still looking for someone to take over the mantle from Reo Hatate in the midfield, Chris Sutton believes that there is one player at the club that Brendan Rodgers doesn’t quite trust. Yet.
The former Celtic hero was speaking about David Turnbull yesterday in the build-up to the Ross County fixture and told Turnbull exactly what he needs to do to make himself a candidate to become a regular first-team player under Rodgers and to earn himself a new deal.
Speaking pre-match, Sutton said [Sky Sports], “He needs to up his level of performance. I always think that Celtic, without Hatate in midfield miss that dynamism.
“Now he had the opportunity the other night, he scored a decent goal and ended up missing a penalty.
“But I think in a Celtic jersey he has performed in fits and starts and the consistent level of performance hasn’t been there.
“He has a chance again today to really stake a claim and get himself in a position that when everybody is fit, then, you know, Brendan actually trusts.
“So it’s up to David Turnbull. It’ll be interesting to see after this season whether his future is at Celtic, but at this moment it is in his hands, perform well and then put that thought in the manager’s mind that I trust you.
“I don’t think Brendan trusts him totally at this moment in time.”
Not yet, but David Turnbull is starting to stake a claim at Celtic
I’ve been a fan of Turnbull ever since he signed for Celtic back in 2020. The Scotland international was great in the Hoops for two seasons under Neil Lennon and then Ange Postecoglou but injury and Celtic’s January business in 2022 hampered his Celtic career.
Now into the last year of his current Celtic deal, Turnbull is playing for his future and, so far this season, he is making a good case for Rodgers to offer a new deal.
Five goals in ten appearances this season has been a good return from the 24-year-old. And whilst he was preferred to Hatate in the early parts of this season, inconsistency meant he dropped back to the bench in favour of the Japanese midfielder.
Two goals in his last two games have put him back in contention for a first-team place and whilst his goal celebration against Hibs certainly raised some eyebrows, Sutton is correct, Turnbull needs to earn the trust of the manager with more consistency.
No doubt Turnbull’s future will be determined before the January window kicks in but until then, he has a run of games coming up where he can convince Brendan Rodgers that he can be trusted and that he is deserving of a new deal.
