With training now underway for Celtic, manager Neil Lennon recently heaped much praise upon two of the club’s new signings.
As earlier reported by 67HailHail, Lennon held an interview via Celtic TV discussing the team’s preseason progress.
Firstly, he praised in length Hoops fans’ support throughout the pandemic break, saying the club has been:
"“Completely overwhelmed by the support, it’s something we obviously don’t take for granted, but a huge amount of thanks to everyone who’s contributed back into the club for this season. It is a momentous season, and obviously you can’t have one without the other, you know, we want the players back fit and playing and the fans back in the stadium to see the players play.”"
The manager described how important every match will be this season, especially without fans in the stadium for a stretch, with history on the line.
When asked about two younger prospects of the club, Patryk Klimala and Ismaila Soro, he expressed that he was “delighted with the both of them” thus far in training. Both signings were highly touted in the January transfer window but saw extremely limited playtime from behind a deep squad through the shortened campaign.
Ismaila Soro, the 22-year-old Ivorian midfielder, signed with the club late in the window for an estimated £2 million but has yet to make an appearance with the side. With an entire offseason under his belt, he is likely to be much more comfortable next season, potentially poised for a breakout with the first squad, especially if the club makes a move involving Oliver Ntcham.
Klimala, the 21-year-old Polish-born striker, has at least seen pitch time for the first squad, making three appearances in the 2020 campaign across Cup and League play. He’s already shown his enthusiasm for the club, saying in a January interview with the Daily Mail:
"“I want to give fans a lot of happiness and hopefully score a lot of goals for Celtic.”"
After signing for £3.5 million, there are high hopes riding on Klimala, and he should be able to see more appearances this season with more experience and training with the team this summer. While breaking out from behind the likes of Odsonne Edouard and Leigh Griffiths is no easy task, the potential is there for Klimala to make an impact this season in support.
Lennon’s Interview can be seen below, via Celtic TV:
It looks like things are looking up heading into 10IAR season.