CELTIC boss Brendan Rodgers has urged Jozo Simunovic not to be dazzled by the pound signs and bright lights of England and to continue his football education at Parkhead.
The 22-year-old is understood to be a potential target for Newcastle and Crystal Palace after helping the Hoops keep four clean sheets in the six games he’s featured in this season since returning from injury.
A £4million move to Torino on the last day of the summer transfer window fell through to keep the Croatian in green and white hoops.
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It was a collapse that delighted Rodgers, who is keen to keep the Croatian at Celtic so he can reach his full potential.
He said: “I see his future very much here. He has been out injured and probably hasn’t had that consistent run as a Celtic player.
“I have been involved at both ends of the Premier League so I know the finances involved. It’s very hard if a player is offered 80, 90 or 100 grand a week to say no to that.
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“But, being a young player, Jozo has time. He just needs to get back fit and becoming available for every game.
“Once he does that and shows consistently how he has been in the last number of weeks – if he can have a run like that over the next couple of years – then of course he is going to be a sought after player.
“Because centre-halves and strikers, in particular, are very much in demand. If you have a top one then even more so.”
Simunovic had not kicked a competitive ball for Celtic when his move to Italy fell through back in October, but it didn’t stop Rodgers being relieved to keep hold of him for a closer look.
“I think I said at the time that I was delighted he never went. I hadn’t seen a lot of him. That was the thing,” explained the Celtic manager.
“There was obviously the chance for him to go without being fit, really. Thankfully, it fell through and he stayed. As soon as you saw him back in training, you thought: ‘Once this boy is fit, we have a proper player here.’
“I think you saw the ease with which he went through the game on Sunday. He has got everything really. He is good in the air, quick and serves the ball well.”
Meanwhile, Rodgers has played down claims his Premiership leaders can go the rest of the season unbeaten domestically.
Eight games in to the league campaign and the Hoops have only dropped two points in an away draw at Inverness ahead of tonight’s trip to the Global Energy Stadium.
Read more: Craig Gordon: I feared big games could have been gone for me
However, despite not losing a game outwith Europe so far, their gaffer is not getting carried away.
He said: “I don’t think you can do it. I think it will be tough, it’s a tough ask.
“We only concentrate on the next game. There are just so many variables in football to forecast and look beyond, people can talk about the season and all that sort of stuff but you can really only hope that everything is right for your next game and that is my only concern.
“I think the players are enjoying the way of playing and working because they’re getting rewards for it - but there’s a long way to go.”
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