Luke McCowan has not started often for Celtic, but whenever he does, he looks like someone who belongs in the starting XI on a regular basis. The Scottish midfielder was signed in the summer from Dundee FC and most fans would not have expected him to have anything more than a squad role. But as the months have passed, there are plenty of calls for him to be given more playing time.
It is not hard to understand why. Just look at his masterclass performance against Ross County if you need any convincing.
McCowan got a rare start and marked it by not only scoring a goal but also providing three assists. That is a fantastic performance and he should be getting more playing time as a result of it.
While most fans seem to be concerned about McCowan not getting enough starts, the player himself seems to be relaxed about the entire situation. As reported by the club's official website, he said about his situation:
"You can’t have a petted lip when you’re not playing in this team.
“You’ve got to be ready to come on.
“The squad is full of quality and there’s so many games across the season that you just have to be ready to be ready when called upon.
“I just always want to learn. I think I’m asking Callum 20 million questions a day on how to play positions or whatever!
“I’m always willing to learn and don’t want to drop the standards or levels, you just want to keep them going."
Luke McCowan makes classy Celtic claim about being dropped
That is the attitude of an elite professional. It is impossible to not want to see someone like that succeed.
McCowan will hopefully get more chances in the future. The issue is, he has Arne Engels ahead of him in the pecking order right now.
Engels has not been as consistent as McCowan. But the Belgian international was signed from FC Augsburg for a club-record transfer fee in the summer. So, there is a decent bit of of pressure on Brendan Rodgers to give him enough chances and playing time.
But, McCowan is starting to become undeniable thanks to his performances and output. He is averaging a goal or an assist every 56 minutes for Celtic. It would be a surprise if he is back on the bench against Aberdeen in mid-week. That is how good he has been.