Scottish Premiership champions Celtic signed USA youngster Manny Perez in January before sending him to North Carolina on loan.
Manny Perez is still something of a mystery to Celtic fans.
Alongside fellow January additions Maryan Shved and Andrew Guttman, the 20-year-old right-back signed for the Hoops out of the blue given that few had heard of him more than three months ago.
Perez, a USA U20 international who was recently named the Player of the Year in the American Soccer Academy, signed a three-and-a-half year deal with the Scottish Premiership champions in the winter before returning across the Atlantic to join North Carolina on loan.
Speaking to American Soccer News, Perez confirmed that Celtic have been trying to sign him since 2017. And the fans might have just found out why.
Celtic supporters have been given their first real glimpse of the highly-rated defender as he produced a stunning, perfectly weighted assist to help North Carolina hammer Hartford 4-1 this week.
This was his second assist in two games, while showcasing the raw potential that has encouraged Celtic to take a punt on a player who could replace Mikael Lustig or Cristian Gamboa in Neil Lennon’s squad.
And he’s certainly made a good first impression on many supporters.
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