BRENDAN RODGERS, the Celtic manager, has targeted Africa as an untapped resource of talent which he believes can flood Scottish football with a fresh wave of quality players.

Ivory Coast teenager Kouassi Eboue is poised to become Rodgers’ first signing of the January transfer window following a switch from Russian side Krasnodar. He will team up at Parkhead with fellow countryman Kolo Toure to become only the seventh Ivorian to play in the Scottish top flight.

Toure is the example Rodgers gave during an interview from the club’s winter training camp base in Dubai of the sort of young talent that can be unearthed if you delve into the African markets and away from the expensive and hyped-up leagues around Europe. Tour of course signed for Arsenal aged just 20 before going on to win the Premier League, FA Cup, African Cup of Nations and play in World Cups and even a Champions League final.

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It is a pond that has long spiked the Celtic manager’s interest, and one that he is happy to fish in while it continues to go untapped.

“Yes, especially for Scotland,” he said. “I look at the Scottish players and say, 'can I help them? can I develop them?'

“But there are also certain markets you can bring players in from to help Celtic and help Scottish football - and Africa has always been that.

“It's always been a market where you find players who are hungry.

“Kolo Toure is the perfect example. You only need to look at Kolo's academy in the Ivory Coast to see the likes of Jervinho, Kolo, Yaya, Cissoko coming through - big talents.

“Ghana, Mali, Ivory Coast, Senegal - in western Africa they have big talent.”

The journey of Eboue from Africa to Dubai – where he waits to join up with his new team-mates upon completion of a work permit back in Scotland – has been a protracted one. Despite being just 19, the midfielder has already spent two years in Russia, not to mention a previous stint in Armenia with Shirak.

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It backs up the notion of hunger and desire to work hard to progress in the game that Rodgers previously mentioned as being a key feature in a player. Yet he insists he would not restrict himself to taking young talent that had already flown the nest and proven themselves on a different stage.

“Not really,” said the Celtic manager. “It tells you a lot about a young player like Eboue that he made those moves to Armenia and Russia.

“It really tells you the hunger of the lad to succeed. But you wouldn't necessarily have to trail them.

“He hasn't played many games- but the reason for that was that he couldn't play first team football till he was 18.

“They wanted to put him in sooner, but they couldn't. When he was 18 he was off.”

Earlier in the day Rodgers was presented with the Ladbrokes Premiership manager of the month award on the back of his side going unbeaten through December while also beating Rangers to go 19 points clear at the top.

The Northern Irishman was in good spirits as he waited for confirmation of Eboue’s deal to be completed, and he also hinted he may not be the only arrival over the coming days.

Rodgers added: “We have a few targets I want to see if we can get in. If we don’t get anyone in January then there is no drama.

“But we’d like to think we could get a few in to enhance the team going forward.”