Copyright glasgowworld
Celtic were held to a goalless draw against an organised Hibs defence on Saturday as they dropped points for the second time this season. In a match that was one-way traffic for 90 minutes, Celtic couldn’t quite find their finishing groove against the Hibees. Kelechi Iheanacho and Johnny Kenny both had big chances for the home side, but couldn’t convert. The draw means that Hibs have done their Edinburgh rivals a favour, as Hearts now leapfrog Celtic in the table after their win against Falkirk. Despite not scoring against Hibs, former Celtic striker, Andy Walker believes Iheanacho could be a great find at Parkhead, even though the striker wasn’t there first choice in the transfer window. The Nigerian has netted twice from the bench already this season, scoring important goals against Kilmarnock and Red Star Belgrade. Speaking on the Go Radio Football show, reacting to a Celtic fan caller who said Iheanacho could be Player of the Year, Walker said: “I think there’s a sharpness there, there’s a killer instinct that he showed the other night. And if he plays enough games, I think he could score heavily for Celtic. “But he needs to keep his fitness, he needs to keep that sharpness. You wish that for every player that wants to make their mark. I’m not prepared to guess who might be the player of the season, we’re only five games into it. In all honesty, he wasn’t even on his (Rodgers) radar. He was a free transfer. “Celtic were looking at strikers who were ahead of Iheanacho in the queue. They didn’t get them in, and they turned to someone who was free and available. But that’s not to say that this guy can’t come in and be a sensation. He might come in and score very heavily, he might be the player of the season. But let’s just wait and see.” Despite recent unsuccessful recent spells at Middlesbrough and Sevilla, the Nigerian striker had an impressive goalscoring record in the English Premier League. While playing south of the border, Iheanacho once registered double figures for Leicester City in a league season and helped the side win the FA Cup 2021, under Brendan Rodgers. It’s clear that the Northern Irishman knows how to get the best out of his striker. Daizen Maeda struggled to play through the middle against Red Star Belgrade and when Iheanacho came on he changed the game. The number nine gave Celtic a focal point in the final third and after numerous chances he eventually got his goal. As Walker alluded to, despite Iheanacho not being their first choice striking replacement for Kyogo Furuhashi or Adam Idah, with the start the 28-year old has made, perhaps it was a blessing in disguise Celtic were snubbed on Deadline Day by Kasper Dolberg. Your next Celtic read: Celtic fan group seek 'reasonable progress' from under-fire board after confirming plans for three-match silent protest
