Celtic midfielder Callum McGregor has showered praise on teammate Ryan Christie, saying he could fill the void left by Moussa Dembele.
Dembele made a late switch to Olympique Lyonnais in the summer transfer window, and Celtic fans were left frustrated that the club didn’t get time to find his replacement.
Brendan Rodgers has Odsonne Edouard and Leigh Griffiths as the two proven centre-forward options at his disposal, and it is indeed a worrying sign, given Celtic are fighting in four separate competitions.
However, according to McGregor, the Bhoys fans can relax, as they have got a ‘top level’ player in the form of the 23-year-old winger Ryan Christie.
Christie looked all set for a move to Sunderland in the summer but Dembele’s departure meant there could be an opportunity for him to establish himself as a first-team regular.
McGregor believes Christie has got “fantastic ability” and that he is as skilful as anyone in the world. He adds that the winger can fill the void left by the Frenchman.
“Ryan has fantastic ability and you’ve seen the tremendous impact he’s made when he’s come off the bench in our last couple of games,” McGregor said to the Scottish Sun.
“The manager likes him as well. Technically, he’s at the top level and Moussa’s departure has created a big opportunity for him.
“Ryan has all the skill in the world, he’s a good kid and he works really hard at training every single day. I don’t see any reason why he can’t do well for us.”
While Christie is a good player, surely he can’t be compared with Dembele. The striker not only netted 51 goals during his time at the club but also registered 18 assists.
Also, Christie is not a natural striker. He is an attacking wide midfielder. McGregor seems to have a lot of faith in the 23-year-old and his latest comments should push Christie to prove a point.
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