Tommy Wright compares Jason Kerr to Celtic’s Jack Hendry after two senior games

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Scottish Premiership champions Celtic are always on the lookout for new talent and St Johnstone defender Jason Kerr fits the bill.

Brendan Rodgers was so determined to bring Jack Hendry to Parkhead in January that he demanded Celtic did not miss out on the highly-rated centre-back, as reported by TEAMtalk.

The Scottish champions had been unwilling to match Dundee’s £1.5 million price-tag, but suddenly decided to pay the fee after Rodgers made his desire to sign the 22-year-old clear.

A technically gifted ball-playing centre-half who has been compared to John Stones, Hendry looks a perfect fit for a Rodgers side renowned for playing out from the back and starting attacks from deep.

But Hendry is not the only rising defensive star in Scottish football. According to St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright, his 21-year-old prospect Jason Kerr has all the talent to be just as good as Celtic’s £1.5 million man.

“Jason has been excellent in the two games since he came into the team,” Wright told the Courier. “He now has to stay there but from what we know of him he’s a player with a very bright future.

“People have been talking about Jack Hendry and Scott McKenna up at Aberdeen and I think Jason is in that bracket with them. He can be every bit as good as them.

“He just has to keep doing what he’s doing and I’ve no doubt clubs will be taking a keen interest in him in future.”

As it stands, Kerr has only played twice for St Johnstone’s first-team, making his debut in January’s Scottish Cup win at Albion FC after being recalled from a stellar loan spell at Queen of the South.

And it says a lot about his potential that Wright already believes he can be up there with some of the nation’s hottest defensive prospects.

And with Celtic always on the lookout for new talent, and likely to be in the market for another centre-half come the summer, Rodgers should be keeping a close eye on a player who could soon be rivalling Hendry for the title of the league’s best young defender.