The Ivorian hadn’t played for Celtic in 15 months prior to his winter exit last week.
Celtic-owned midfielder Eboue Kouassi is hopeful that he can emulate a certain Yaya Toure.
The Hoops flop was sent on loan to Genk last week and the Belgian outfit have an option to sign the Ivorian on a permanent basis this summer.
Kouassi, who cost Celtic some £3 million in 2017 [Scottish Sun], hadn’t played for the Scottish giants in 15 months.
That was a combination of a serious knee injury and the Bhoys boasting superior midfielders, like Scott Brown, Olivier Ntcham, Callum McGregor and now new signing Ismaila Soro.
The 22-year-old managed just 12 Premiership appearances under Brendan Rodgers – who signed him from Krasnodar – and none for Neil Lennon.
Toure’s first European club was Belgian side Beveren, and Kouassi is using his fellow Ivorian midfielder’s career path after leaving that team as an example as to what is possible.
He told The Record: “I’m working hard to get fully fit again and this is a great new challenge for me. My hero has always been Yaya Toure. He spent a few years in Belgium and look where he ended up. So that’s my motivation here.”
It’s worth bearing in mind that Rodgers once said via the The Scottish Sun that Kouassi would be Brown’s long-term replacement at Celtic. If you have a manager of Rodgers’s calibre paying you that sort of compliment then you’re obviously going to be a fine talent.
Things didn’t work out in Glasgow but, if he can stay fit, it would be nice to see the combative midfielder go on to have the best career he can.
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