Celtic are cruising towards the Scottish Premiership once again but there is no denying that they have not been as formidable as they were last season under the tutelage of Brendan Rodgers. On a few occasions, they flattered to deceive in the domestic competitions, and their failure to make their presence felt in the Champions League and Europa League hasn’t ceased to exist.
The defensive line is one of the areas that the former Liverpool manager needs to address in the summer as the lack of quality at the back has been evident. In particular, the right-back slot has been a major cause of concern for them. Mikael Lustig has been timorous and inconsistent on plenty of occasions and Cristian Gamboa is yet to find his feet in Scottish football.
However, Anthony Ralston is one of the highly rated Celtic prodigies to have emerged through the youth ranks of the Glasgow based outfit. Ralston plies his trade as a right-back and given Lustig’s lack of form, the football fraternity expected Ralston to be handed opportunities to showcase his talents in the business end of the season on a regular basis. Surprisingly, Rodgers has sanctioned the 19-year-old’s loan move to Dundee United a couple of days ago.
Ralston’s switch to the Tannadice Park on an emergency loan deal comes just three months after he signed a new four-and-a-half-year deal with the Celts. He has struggled with injuries in recent months and has been in and out of the side due to the same. He was on the bench in Dundee United’s 1-1 draw against Inverness CT on Saturday but is likely to play a key role for them in the upcoming fixtures.
The Scottish starlet is a modern-day fullback who loves to join with his offensive teammates in the attacking endeavours without leaving his defensive duties unattended. Blessed with great pace and exceptional ability to read the game meticulously, Ralston has the required calibre to excel at a big club like Celtic in the near future and there is no doubt about it.
Although Rodgers’ decision to ship him out on loan seems to be questionable at the onset, it might not be a bad decision entirely. A loan spell for some months with a Scottish Championship should make give him the chance to ply his trade on a regular basis, which would make him more matured. The Bhoys see him as an important figure for the club in the near future and the lad must make the most of the chances he is likely to receive under Csaba Laszlo.
