Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has decisions to make on his squad ahead of the new 2024/25 campaign commencing.
Pre-season will be a valuable tool for evaluating fringe players and new signings alongside determining who from the academy set-up could work their way into his first-team plans.
Bosun Lawal has emerged from the shadows to enjoy a fine season at Fleetwood Town, registering six goals and two assists from 47 appearances across all competitions in his new-found midfield role [Transfermarkt].
Charlie Adam, manager of the now-Sky Bet League Two side, waxed lyrical about his qualities earlier this year, claiming he has all the tools necessary to become a success at Celtic.
He stated: “He’s a top talent, but hopefully, with the journey we’re on and the support that we can give him, he goes back to Celtic next season, and he goes and competes for a position because I believe he’s got the right credentials to be a Celtic player.”
Whether that is the case remains to be seen; however, he certainly hasn’t done his chances any harm over the last year or so.
Celtic shouldn’t ignore Bosun Lawal recognition
Earlier this week, we told how Lawal has been invited to train with the Republic of Ireland first team ahead of their friendly double-header against Hungary and Portugal.
Despite the fact he won’t be involved in either fixture, the chance to rub shoulders with senior internationals is a marker of his progress this campaign.
In light of reported interest in his services from Derby County, Portsmouth and Queens Park Rangers, if Celtic are keen to keep him around, they could do a lot worse than giving the 21-year-old a chance to impress in pre-season to see if he has the credentials to make an impact under Rodgers.
Clearly, he is highly rated in Irish circles, and he only needs to look at compatriots such as Liam Scales and Adam Idah for inspiration on how to make it as a Celtic player.
Nobody is saying award him a slot in the starting line-up week-in, week-out, but it would be intriguing to see how he would fare if given the occasional opportunity to impress at the reigning Scottish Premiership champions.
This summer is going to be a key period for the young talent and it’ll be interesting to see if he shows enough to make the grade.