Celtic have done a remarkable job over the past couple of seasons, winning five of the six domestic trophies. The club are entering a new era once again though, with Ange Postecoglou leaving for Tottenham Hotspur and Brendan Rodgers returning for a second stint in the Parkhead hot seat. It is certainly an interesting time for the Hoops.
The majority of this team was assembled under the watchful eye of Postecoglou. It remains to be seen what Rodgers makes of the players though.
Like any manager, he will come in with his own ideas and style of play. And some players might not fit into the Northern Irishman’s vision, despite enjoying success under the management of Postecoglou.
Fortunately, Kyogo seems to be very much in Rodgers’ plans, after scoring 34 goals last season across all competitions. In fact, the ‘new’ Celtic manager has compared the Japanese striker to ones he has managed in the past, including Luis Suarez.
Rodgers compares Celtic player to Suarez
As reported by The Herald, Rodgers said:
"“What I see is a team where there are no real big stars.“There are some top players – Kyogo, (Reo) Hatate, Jota, these guys. But the star really is the team. It reminds me very much of my Swansea team, how they are really synchronised in how they work and how they play.“It was a similar sort of idea coming into Swansea. They had a decent foundation that we had to build on. I see Celtic as being very similar to that, where it’s all about the team. It’s that synchronisation that is the success.“But I’ve seen quite a bit of Kyogo. If you look through my history: strikers who can penetrate the last line, who can receive and score goals.“Danny Graham at Swansea was great for me. Then at Liverpool Sturridge and Suarez could run in behind and penetrate. It was the same with Vardy at Leicester. Kyogo is certainly that. It’s a team who can look after the ball and play at fast speed.”"
Under the management of Rodgers, Suarez was one of the best players in the game if not the very best. He almost single-handedly inspired Liverpool to the Premier League, ‘slipping’ at the final steps.
Rodgers has shown a great eye for a striker during his time at Celtic as well. Both Moussa Dembele and Odsonne Edouard were signed by the club while the Northern Irishman was the manager of the Hoops the first time around. Thus, fans will be hoping for similar results once again.
Of course, Kyogo has been linked with a move away from Parkhead as well, following his incredible performances for Celtic over the past couple of seasons. Multiple Premier League clubs are rumoured to hold a real interest in the Japanese forward. One can only hope that he will stay on in Glasgow.