Brendan Rodgers is planning on utilising Celtic defender Anthony Ralston more next season after limited game time in the team this term.
Ralston has played 18 times for the Bhoys throughout 2023/24 but only eight of those appearances have come as a starter, with Alistair Johnston firmly installed as Rodgers’ first pick.
Despite that, the right-back has been selected for Steve Clarke’s provisional Euro 2024 squad and is expected to be on the plane to Germany this summer.
Now, Rodgers has suggested Ralston will become a more important player for Celtic moving forward and that he can expect more minutes after the summer.
It seems that Celtic won’t be looking to the transfer market for a new right-back during the upcoming summer window.
Brendan Rodgers lauds Anthony Ralston’s Celtic preparation
Speaking in a media conference on Thursday, the Celtic boss said [Celtic FC]: “He will feature more for me next season. Part of this season was that Ali (Johnston) was the first choice. Tony came in and played some games. Ali had been out for a while so when he came back from injury I needed to get him games to get him up to speed. That meant that Tony hadn’t played so much.
“But there are a few things with Tony. One, I know he is always ready because if he is not playing in games his training is the game. So he trains every day and his standard, quality, and mentality are like that of a game.
“That’s why I can put him in against St Mirren in the last game of the season and he is running up in the 90th minute making a cross to score the winning goal. Why? Because he trains himself. He is a wonderful example of someone who treats his training like it’s a game so that when he comes in he is game-ready.
“I know Scotland had a couple of injuries, but even with those players available, Tony is a great option for them. He has played at the highest level, he’s played in big games, he’s played in Champions League games. He is a winner, he has that mentality and he would never let Scotland down ever.”
Ralston is still just 25 and last September signed a new long-term contract at the club until the summer of 2027, so he has excellent security.
He seems happy with his squad role and Rodgers will need committed players like that to do a job without fuss or unhappiness about not being the main man in his position.
Expect to see plenty more of the Scotland man over the coming 12 months.