Brendan Rodgers addresses Anthony Ralston’s Celtic future

With the departure of Ange Postecoglou and the subsequent arrival of Brendan Rodgers, the Celtic fans have witnessed a paradigm shift. In the aftermath of a decision that saw the Australian parting ways with the Scottish champions and moving to Tottenham Hotspur, the Hoops turned to the Northern Irishman, a familiar face, for the most important role at the club.

The change in management means that players will have to start all over again to win their place in the team. Rodgers will already be familiar with a few though, as the former Leicester City manager had a stint with the Hoops between 2016 and 2019, which produced seven trophies.

Anthony Ralston is one of the players who enjoyed a rise in the senior set up under the management of Rodgers during his previous term. His career went a bit off the tracks moving forward but he enjoyed a revival during Postecoglou’s spell at Parkhead and earned himself a new contract.

Amid Alistair Johnston’s injury issues last season, Ralston did get to play a decent bit of football, even though he was a cover option for the most part. However, his performances were far from convincing. The right-back could get a morale boost after Rodgers’ return to Parkhead though.

Rodgers addresses Ralston’s Celtic future

The manager seems to have big plans for the right-back. As reported by The Scottish Sun, Rodgers said regarding Ralston and his place in the squad:

"“It’s been great for Tony to be able to show that to the fans, because he’s a Celtic man who wants to do well for the club.“I’m really pleased he did well and got his new contract. He’s another player who will be really important for us in my time here.“He worked hard and became an international player. I love his attitude. He fights every single day and he’ll be a big part of my squad.”"

Following these comments from Rodgers, it can be understood that Ralston is going to have a place in the squad next season. It does not look like Celtic will try to bring in another right-back, despite the injury issues Johnston has faced recently.

With Ralston and Johnston occupying the full-back role, Celtic should love a healthy competition for the first-team spot between the pair. But when fully fit and on top of his game, it is clear that the Canadian international is the first-choice though.