The tenacious midfielder is a player reborn under Brendan Rodgers at Celtic.
If one player sums up Brendan Rodgers’ impact at Celtic, it is Stuart Armstrong. Scotland’s 2014 Young Player of the Year, a £1.7 million signing from Dundee United two years ago according to the Daily Record, is one of the first names on the team-sheet these days, and in his preferred position, too.
No wonder, then, that Bhoys legend Tom Boyd is so impressed by the progress of a man misused by Ronny Deila but masterful under Rodgers, Celtic TV reports.
“The way Stuart has been playing, he has certainly developed”, Boyd, who won three titles in eleven years at Parkhead, insisted.
“He was previously playing alongside Scott Brown, but due to Tom Rogic’s injury now as well, he is and probably will play in a more advanced role and Nir Bitton will be doing the holding role.
“He is certainly enjoying the role that has been given to him.”
That is without question. During a testing 18 months under Norwegian manager Deila, Armstrong was either utilised out on the left hand side or not at all and thus struggled to stamp his authority on the side.
Rodgers, however, wasted no time in bestowing the 6ft enforcer with a crucial role in the heart of Celtic’s midfield once he replaced Deila at the helm in the summer.
And with just over two months of the season left to play, Armstrong has repaid his manager’s faith, his combination of elegance and energy helping Celtic win 24 of their 25 league games as well as rejuvenate captain fantastic Scott Brown.
“There was a developing frustration for me last season, playing on the left,” Armstrong told the Daily Record earlier in the season.
“I was playing and that was the most important thing, but I knew I could play a lot better in the middle.”
Thankfully, Rodgers knew it, too.
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