Brendan Rodgers has hailed Celtic teenager Calvin Miller.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has told the Daily Mail that he thinks teenager Calvin Miller has similar traits to Southampton left back Ryan Bertrand.
The Bhoys made it 16 wins from their 17 league games this season as they beat Partick Thistle 1-0 on Tuesday evening, with Scott Sinclair’s 16th minute goal proving to be the winner.
Celtic can now head into Christmas sitting 14 points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership table, having dropped only two points under Rodgers so far.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers
Rodgers took a major gamble on Tuesday night, as he not only handed a Celtic debut to teenager Calvin Miller, but also asked him to play in a completely different position.
Miller, 18, has been coming up through the ranks at Celtic as a forward, but the Scotland under-19 international started Tuesday’s game against Partick Thistle in an unfamiliar left back role.
Southampton’s Ryan Bertrand in action with Hull City’s Markus Henriksen
Miller played 63 minutes of the win before being replaced by veteran left back Emilio Izaguirre, and his performance drew great praise from manager Rodgers after the final whistle.
Rodgers told the Daily Mail that he thinks Miller is similar to Southampton star Ryan Bertrand, who Rodgers also converted from a left winger to a left back during his time with Chelsea.
Bertrand is now one of the Premier League’s top left backs and an England international, with Rodgers genuinely believing that Miller not only has similar traits to Bertrand, but also that he can really offer Celtic something from left back in the long-term.
“He’s a kid I’ve been impressed with as he really wants to learn, develop,” said Rodgers. “I did a similar thing with Ryan Bertrand when I was at Chelsea. We took him in from Gillingham as a left-winger and in the same team was Scott Sinclair, who was a striker.”
“I moved Scotty wide and moved Ryan to left-back and he went on to play with England and won the Champions League with Chelsea. Now he’s at Southampton and he’s an outstanding player.”
“I see similar sort of traits in Calvin where he can do that one position behind, but he’s only 18 so he needs time to learn that position and role. But he’s got some outstanding qualities and can offer the club something going forward,” he added.
What did you think of Miller’s display against Partick Thistle?
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