Bangor boss explains why Irish League veteran's presence will be so important to top flight new boys
Bangor boss Lee Feeney has spoken of his relief and joy at getting former Linfield midfielder Robbie Garrett to sign on for another Premiership campaign.
The top flight new boys have confirmed that the midfield warrior has agreed a contract extension with the club.
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Daily Record
3 hours ago
- Daily Record
I know Celtic's transfer market strategy but it leaves Brendan Rodgers in the pressure pot again
Brendan Rodgers could not have been any clearer about the impressive impact last summer's pre-season work had on the way Celtic stylishly set about their business. Fast forward 12 months and I'd say it's even-more important this time around. Which is why I can understand some edginess that has been creeping into supporters as time ticks past with noise on the signing front remaining relatively quiet. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it's at full volume in the background as Rodgers' recruitment team set about delivering the quality he wants. Benjamin Nygren's sealed deal says as much. A positive sign. I feel like I say this every year, but there really is no time to waste. Especially not this time with the sceptre of the Champions League qualifiers being back. Those games are enough to make you feel a bit queasy. I know, I've been there and I've been on the wrong end of them. It's not fun. As much as putting Ajax out for the first time was an incredible high, losing out to FC Basel was a kick in the guts, even if it did send us into the UEFA Cup and on a run to a final. Celtic didn't just hit the ground running last season. They absolutely sprinted into top gear from the first whistle. Granted, the signings weren't all in place by that time either with the likes of Adam Idah and Arne Engels arriving after the campaign was underway, but the work done in the build-up weeks was absolutely vital. That's not just me saying that, that's coming from the manager himself. Rodgers told us in no uncertain terms that the patterns of play used in the United States in games against the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City were priceless when it came to going into the league phase of the Champions League. The way Nicolas Kuhn 's role was defined and perfected to ensure he began the season like an express train and barely stopped until running out of gas a bit near the end. Celtic won 16 of their first 18 Premiership matches and put the title to bed during that run, It was job done and Rodgers is going to want the same again. For that to happen in the way he plans, I'd be sure he wants many of the men he is going to be relying upon to be in the camp when they make their trips to Portugal and Italy. Look, again, I'm not daft. I understand how the market works. I'm fully aware that Celtic will have targets who, at this stage, might not be unavailable due to their own clubs not having made up their mind, or that agents are playing a waiting game and trying to smoke out the best deals, waiting to see if they can generate as much interest as possible for their client. Unless Celtic are going to start paying silly money, I'd imagine they may have to wait, perhaps even until the end of the window, for some of the key targets. But it still feels a little lacking to me at this precise point of proceedings and, at the very least, Rodgers will surely want the majority in his squad for the start of the domestic season. Having the unit functioning smoothly and working in tandem is vital. There are competitive domestic games before the qualifiers, but Rodgers has been in this movie before and he is going to want to be as tooled up as possible for when they come around. Yes staying top of the pile in the Scotland is the key. That's the bread and butter and it always has to be the priority. But I stood five yards from Rodgers on the pitch at Tannadice on the day Celtic clinched the title and you could not hide the excitement he had about the prospect of going back into the Champions League next season and kicking on from last term's efforts. Celtic got their pride back. It's what the manager wanted and now it's about building. But you can't do that if you aren't in it. Rodgers doesn't need me to tell him what it's like to have to deal with these qualifiers without a full deck of cards. He's been there. When he walked in the door the first time, the juggling act and scrambling to make it to the group-phase through the final qualifiers against Astana and Hapoel Be'er Sheva having lost a first-leg tie to Lincoln Red Imps shredded the nerves. Kolo Toure parachuted into the squad in the midst of it. Same the following year. Battling to get through, having to play Tom Rogic basically up front. Eventually, it caught up with Celtic when AEK Athens put them out in Rodgers' last attempt before he left. Now returned, he's back in that pressure pot and, at this stage, there looks like there's plenty to be done. Kieran Tierney has signed, but who is the back up with Greg Taylor leaving? Nygren now in with Ross Doohan, yet the new striker that was wanted in January when Kyogo left will still be wanted. Other areas of the side to be addressed. It seems there is much to do and there's too much going on the line for Celtic not to try and get as much of it done as soon as possible. Rodgers and his team are heading into that pre-season campaign shortly. For it to have the same maximum effect as it had a year ago, having some more of the targeted new faces on the pre-season flights wouldn't go amiss.
Belfast Telegraph
10 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Top Premier League referee drafted in for Linfield's Windsor Park battle with Shelbourne
Linfield's Champions League showdown with Shelbourne at Windsor Park has been given a Premier League flavour with officials from England's top-flight drafted in to take charge.
Scottish Sun
10 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Celtic transfer latest including in-depth look at Benji Nygren and why he won't be the last attacking signing Hoops make
CELTIC have now signed three players in the summer transfer window. And you can bet Brendan Rodgers won't let it stop there. Sign up for the Celtic newsletter Sign up 5 Benjamin Nygren will wear number eight at Celtic Credit: CELTIC FC Today the Premiership champions unveiled their latest addition, attacking midfielder Benji Nygren. He joins the returning Kieran Tierney and Ross Doohan as arrivals at Parkhead and SunSport looks at what may still be to come from the club as the window continues. We also analyse how Nygren will fit into the Hoops' line-up with his versatility giving Rodgers food for thought. But Nicolas Kuhn could be on his way OUT and there are questions over fringe players like Johnny Kenny, and defensive rock Cameron Carter-Vickers. BENJAMIN NYGREN I think it's a great piece of business. He's a player who has clearly done a lot in his career so far, he's broken into the Sweden squad, recently scored goals for Sweden, he was really good in Denmark last year with 16 goals and can play as an attacking midfielder, number 10, number 8 or off a wing, even play up front as well. Reading Brendan Rodgers' quotes on him, he felt he was a quality player and I think that's what Celtic are getting in Benjamin Nygren, and for an absolute steal at the price. The big thing for me is he's a guy who I would look at and think he'll immediately come in and improve Celtic, this is no project, this is no squad player, this is a guy who will come in and play for Celtic and I think Celtic have pulled off a real transfer coup by getting him. He was very open in that he was ready to leave Denmark and move and he spoke about wanting to play under big pressure, wanting to compete for trophies, wanting to play in the Champions League, wanting to play in front of big crowds in a big stadium. Celtic, in that sense, tick every box. The diggers move in as Celtic Park pitch is dug up They still have this Champions League play-off to try and get through but I can imagine Celtic sells itself to an extent. For someone like him, who maybe wasn't going to get a top four, top five Bundesliga club, he's probably in that stage in his career where he wants to make a next step and just experience a bit more and gain better experience especially at European level. Brendan Rodgers is a manager who can develop players, who can help them progress and grow and I think it's a perfect fit for everybody. I wonder whether Celtic will play him as more of an attacking midfielder, maybe a Matt O'Reilly type replacement, that kind of idea. He can clearly score goals, I think what he's also got about him is a bit of personality, he was captain of Nordsjaelland last year, I think that will help. ROSS DOOHAN Ross Doohan comes in and what you're getting a guy who's just made his Scotland debut, he's knows the club, a really, really good addition to the goalkeeping area. You've got Kasper Schmeichel, Viljami Sinisalo and now Ross Doohan, I think that made perfect sense. NICOLAS KUHN We had the story about RB Leipzig, it then came out that Red Bull obviously want to take him back to Germany, in Italy it's emerged that Como, Cesc Fabregas' side are also very keen to bring him over to Serie A. Look he's a player who had a brilliant probably first six, seven months of the season last year, he did tail off, that's undeniable, however what a talented player. 5 Could Nicolas Kuhn leave Celtic for £15million this summer? Credit: Willie Vass When we talk about Celtic's transfer model, this is a signing for about £3million that they could potentially make five, six times their money on him if he was to go this summer. However it has to be on Celtic's terms. It would probably be an attractive proposition for him to go back to Leipzig where it all kind of started for him over in Germany and might feel that that's a better chance for him to work his way into the German national squad which is one of his career ambitions, especially ahead of the World Cup next year. But Celtic have got a long term deal, the terms have to be right if they are going to sell and it has to be right for everybody. Now if Nicolas Kuhn does want to go and makes it clear to Brendan Rodgers he wants to go, I don't think Brendan Rodgers will stand in his way, you saw that with Kyogo in January. If Como are now in for him, that's maybe a win-win for Celtic because you always want more interest in players in terms of the transfer phase, so we'll see how that one progresses over the next few weeks. My gut feeling is come the end of the transfer window Nicolas Kuhn won't be a Celtic player, but where he'll end up? I would probably say Leipzig are favourites right now, but we'll just see how it pans out. JOHNNY KENNY OUT, SHIN YAMADA IN? I suppose based on his form this season you would maybe scratch your head and think why would you be interested? But you need to look back to last season, his goal return last season which was outstanding in the J League, 19 goals. I think he is also one that, don't be fooled by his lack of experience at 25, it's the Japanese system you go through university, if you look at the profile of him, he is pretty quick, strong, stocky, seems very suited to European football, very suited to Scottish football and I think it's also quite interesting in that the fee wouldn't be huge. 5 Celtic got Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda and even Kyogo was a wee bit more at about £4million but all of them were still good value. I know Celtic have been scouting Japan and they are looking at Hayato Inamura as well from Nigata, a central defender, but I think he would certainly be one with a night in the future if that happens. In terms of Yamada, to me he is a guy who could suit Scottish football and I can understand why. But it's not just Celtic, there are European clubs looking at him because I think he is a player who seems ready for a move to Europe and I think he is a guy who for a relatively low fee could certainly do a job. With this in mind, I do wonder about Johnny Kenny. I know there has been interest and Celtic need to probably decide what they are going to do with him. Is it a loan, do you take any permanent offer that comes in for him? MICHEL-ANGE BALIKWISHA AND SONDRE ORJASAETER Balikwisha is certainly one that's been watched and I think he's only got a year left in his deal, he's had a lot of injury problems, he's a player that Celtic have liked for a while. I wonder whether the fee that Antwerp are looking for just now, whether it's Celtic or other interested parties, will start to go down towards the end of the window. I think they're asking for, according to colleagues in Belgium, 5 million euros and that's maybe a bit steep given his contract situation and his injury record. 5 Sondre Orjasaeter in action for Norway Under-21s Credit: AFP So I will keep watching that and with Orjasaeter, he's also been linked with PSV and he's clearly a player of potential, of quality, however I think you would maybe look at that one and have to ask what the interest actually is, and what else is going on, as Celtic have reportedly been looking at him in other windows but nothing has happened. I just wonder how that will pan out over the course of the next couple of months, especially if there's major interest from PSV at a certain level. CAMERON CARTER-VICKERS He's so important and I actually think what will help Cameron Carter-Vickers get into this season is he didn't have to go away with America, he was able to get a proper rest after the Scottish Cup final and I think with a strong pre-season, injury free, that will do him the world of good. I expect another strong season from Cameron Carter-Vickers, I don't expect him to be on the sale agenda, I think he'll be at Celtic for the foreseeable future. He's the number one central defender there, he's such an important player for Brendan Rodgers and the club. It's just a case of who partners him. 5 Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
