Celtic told to build team around newly-found ‘real diamond’ after Larsson claim – pundit
Kyogo Furuhashi can be the “face of the new era” at Celtic after his “outstanding” start at Parkhead, according to Alan Hutton.
The former Scotland defender, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, insisted the Hoops have found a “real diamond in the rough” in the 26-year-old.
Furuhashi scored a brace as Celtic secured the League Cup with a 2-1 win against Hibernian at Hampden on Sunday (19 December).
His performance sparked widespread praise, with former Hibs striker Tam McManus branding him the best striker in Scotland since Henrik Larsson.
As quoted by the Daily Record (22 December), Furuhashi insisted he is “shocked but happy” to be compared to the legendary Swede but claimed he must “focus on growing” in his own way.
Hutton suggested Celtic could forge a formidable partnership if they can partner the striker with on-loan winger Jota.
“It definitely looks like he’s going to be that face of the new era at Celtic,” he told Football Insider‘s Ewan Kingsbury.
“They’ve found a real diamond in the rough, and you just wonder where they would be without him.
“At the start of this Postecoglou era, they were shipping goals but he was coming up with the goods himself to get them out of a situation.
“Hibs did well during the cup final, managed to get their noses in front – but straight away, Kyogo goes and scores.
“He’s been an outstanding buy for them. They will be looking to build the team around him for years to come.
“If they can make the Jota signing permanent, then they’ll have the basis of a really strong side.”
Furuhashi has scored 16 goals for Celtic this term across all competitions.
The forward was absent from Celtic’s 0-0 draw at St Mirren on
In other news, Celtic warned about “overboard celebrations” amid “runaway” Rangers claim.