Back from the brink, why this Celtic player now holds the key to treble push
COMMENT By Matt Farr
When the transfer window opened on January 1, many people thought that Dedryck Boyata would be leaving Celtic for a fresh challenge.
The 26-year-old defender had been cast aside by manager Brendan Rodgers, and had made just one first-team appearance all season.
However, in a surprise turn of events, the former Manchester City man was handed a rare opportunity against Albion Rovers in the Scottish Cup fourth round on January 22, Celtic’s first action since the mid-season break.
Boyata gave an impressive display, and earned himself a start for Celtic’s next game against St. Johnstone three days later.
He capped off the St. Johnstone clash with the game’s only goal, and he has since played every minute for Celtic as they continue their push for domestic glory.
He now has two goals from four appearances this season, and has forced his way back into Rodgers’ first-team squad.
The ultimate goal for Celtic and Rodgers this season is the domestic treble. They’ve already got one foot in the door, having lifted the Scottish League Cup earlier in the campaign, while they are currently 25 points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
The Scottish Cup is the next trophy on the agenda, where they face Inverness in the next round on February 11. An early exit from the competition remains a possibility, but the chances are slim given Celtic have gone the entire domestic season unbeaten.
But after falling out-of-favour at Celtic Park, it is Boyata that now has one of the most important roles to play in pursuit of that success.
Since he returned to the starting line-up, Celtic have yet to concede a goal. The Scottish giants don’t concede many goals, but Boyata has brought about an increased defensive stability to Rodgers’ side of late.
The Belgian international communicates well with his team-mates, works very hard, and has become an authoritative presence in the Celtic back-line.
Rodgers has success in the final third covered, watching his side win 4-0 against Hearts at the end of January even without Moussa Dembele, Leigh Griffiths and Stuart Armstrong available.
That shows the depth to his attacking options, but there is still room from improvement at the other end of the pitch.
Rodgers has made frequent changes to his defensive line-up, aiming to rotate the likes of Erik Sviatchenko, Jozo Simunovic, Mikael Lustig and Kolo Toure; but it is clear that Boyata is likely to be the mainstay while the others drop in and out.
This comes as great reward for his tremendous patience waiting endlessly for his next opportunity to impress, and has seized his chance with both hands.
A promising young defensive prospect back in his early days at Manchester City, his career appeared to have stalled since arriving at Celtic Park in 2015.
However, he now appears to have re-acquired the tools needed for him to become a big success in Scotland, and finally develop into a top-class defender.
In other Celtic news, club legend John Hartson has delivered his verdict on the future of this Celtic star.
We’ve launched an << EXCLUSIVE TRANSFER WINDOW NEWS FEED>>. ‘Like Us’ on Facebook by clicking here if you want 24/7 updates on all Celtic transfer news.