Brendan Rodgers made it very clear to Celtic chiefs that he wanted Dundee defender Jack Hendry at Parkhead.
But as soon as manager Brendan Rodgers made it clear how highly he rated the 22-year-old, instructing the club to ensure he did not slip through their grasp, the Hoops suddenly stumped up every penny Dundee were demanding.
But why is Rodgers so enamoured by a player who has only six months of uninterrupted first-team football under his belt?
Well, perhaps it has something to do with the fact that Hendry boasts the best dribble success rate in the entire Scottish top flight. A real ball-playing centre-half, Hendry has competed 85 per cent of his forays this season, a stat even Scott Sinclair, Patrick Roberts or James Forrest cannot match.
It does not take a genius to work out why Hendry has been compared to Manchester City’s £47.5 million man John Stones – the epitome of the modern day centre-back.
A centre-half in Rodgers’ Celtic team is not charged with simply stopping goals. He must start attacks, too, pierce the opposition lines and provide a reliable supply for the attack.
The likes of Kieran Tierney and Dedryck Boyata would not be undisputed members of Rodgers’ best XI if they were not perfectly equipped to dealing with the ball at their feet.
And, by the looks of it, the fleet-footed and technically gifted Hendry should have no trouble adapting to Rodgers’ system. In fact, he seems born to play under the Northern Irishman.
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