Just when a player starts to make an impact at a young age, we have seen them being compared to iconic players who had previously graced the pitch for the same club. Such things often backfire! Have you ever seen any among the pantheon of the ‘next Lionel Messis’ or the ‘next Cristiano Ronaldoes’ becoming even half good as them? No, right?
Neither did the ‘next Paul Scholes‘! Just when a young Tom Cleverley started doing well for Manchester United, the fans went over the moon and started comparing him with club legend Paul Scholes. We all have seen what followed that and that was not too well for the Red Devils.
Cleverley is now plying his trade for Everton and despite playing 11 games in all competitions this campaign, he has done absolutely nothing to impress the boss Ronald Koeman and The Mirror claims that the Toffees are looking to offload the English international. The England international joined the Toffees from Manchester United last year when his contract at Old Trafford expired in July and penned a five-year deal at Goodison Park but has hardly done anything at the club.
Cleverley is certainly a talented player who had all the ingredients to become a successful midfielder. He is a versatile player. Even though he is best suited in a box to box midfield role, the Englishman can also be deployed as a defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder and also on either flank. Looking at the fact that Celtic are in the market for a quality box to box midfielder, Rodgers could certainly go for him in January.
With Celtic looking to prove themselves as more successful in the Champions League next season, Cleverley’s experience in the competition could prove priceless for the Hoops. He is a one-time Premier League winner at Old Trafford and also possesses 13 senior caps for England and that sort of experience could be an invaluable addition to the Celtic side. He has everything it takes to be the ideal midfield partner for Scott Brown that Rodgers is looking for.
In Rodgers’ 4-2-3-1 system, there is no place for an out and out defensive midfielder and that is why Nir Bitton is struggling for first-team opportunities now. Stuart Armstrong and Callum McGregor both have done well as makeshift central midfielders but that is no long-term solution but Cleverley can turn out to be that.
We have seen Scott Sinclair finding his true self back in Scotland after struggling for a few years in England and Cleverley can also turn around his fate at Paradise.
