Celtic manager provides Jahmai Simpson-Pusey update

After earning some minutes under Pep Guardiola last season – including in the Champions League – the 19-year-old made the loan switch to Scotland in pursuit of regular first-team football.

Yet despite holding the title of current Premier League 2 Player of the Year, he is still waiting for his Celtic debut and was left out of the club’s Europa League squad along with three other club signings Shin Yamada, Callum Osmand and Hayato Inamura.

Ahead of Celtic’s visit to Firhill to take on Partick Thistle tomorrow afternoon, Rodgers offered an update on the young defender’s situation since he has been missing from squad’s in recent weeks.

“I think it was a medium to longer-term signing we were looking at with young Jahmai,” Rodgers said at yesterday’s media conference.

“We had our centre-halves in place, but he was a young player who we saw as a talent. He has come in, but the team have defended well in the main. He is here for the 12 months, at least, to show what he can do.”

“It is not easy to come into a club like Celtic, because you still have to earn your position in the team. You’re coming into a new environment from his club, so it just takes time – it is that adaptation.”

Rodgers added: “Liam Scales and Cameron Carter-Vickers have been doing really well. Dane Murray has been great over the course of pre-season. We’ve still got Auston Trusty who is just coming back from injury.”

“The competition is there, and you have to earn your place. I’m really pleased with his development and how he has been moving in the right direction with adapting to the intensity of how we work and play, as well as moving away from Manchester.”

“I’m pretty sure that over the course of the season, when that opportunity comes, he’ll be ready.”

Conor Spence

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