Billy Stark insists Celtic summer signing looks the part

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Billy Stark managed to get a close look at Celtic summer signing Kundai Benyu when he played for the Hoops for the first time.

Former Celtic ace and current East Kilbride boss Billy Stark has insisted that while he has some way to go, Kundai Benyu certainly looked the part when he played for the Hoops in a pre-season friendly against the Lowland League side, the Daily Record reports.

After recently moving to Parkhead from Ipswich Town, the 19-year-old was included in the Bhoys’ XI that took on Stark’s men last week. And he bagged a goal as Celtic went on to win 3-1 – prompting Brendan Rodgers to suggest that previous plans to loan the teenager out during the coming season would need a rethink, as reported by the Scotsman.

Rodgers was seemingly not the only person impressed by Benyu’s performance in the game, with Stark suggesting that the prospect made an impression on him also.

“He looks to have all the attributes managers look for in modern players. He has that physicality and he is quick as well,” he said, as reported by the Daily Record.

“I don’t want to go overboard about the lad but he looked the part. I heard Brendan on the radio after Saturday saying he’d changed his mind about sending him out on loan, so he must have made a big impression.

“It was obviously early for the lad as he’d only signed a couple of days previously. It was a very good Celtic side with talented young players who are clearly in the groove. But it was clear he fitted in with them nicely.”

With Stark knowing what it will take to make an impact at Celtic, his comments praising Benyu should surely provide the summer signing with a significant boost.

Celtic boast tremendous strength in depth in the middle of the park, so Benyu arguably needs to impress as much as possible during pre-season to give him the best chance of taking a more prominent role in his manager’s thoughts once the Scottish Premiership campaign begins.

But, while the standard of the opposition Benyu may face will rise in the coming weeks, it appears that the youngster is on the right track and has made a great start to life with the Hoops.