Ryan Christie has told Football Scotland that he hopes Celtic fans remember Tom Rogic as a club legend as the midfielder is ‘so underappreciated’ despite what he offers at Parkhead.
Rogic joined the Bhoys back in 2013 from Central Coast Mariners for what has proven to be a bargain £400k. The Australian has so far amassed 262 appearances with the Premiership giants in all competitions. He has also scored 45 goals, while laying on a further 49 to date.
Last season was far from the 29-year-old’s best in green-and-white while struggling to hold a regular role in the side. Rogic featured 31 times in all, but only started 10 of his 23 league outings. The 51-cap dynamo also only offered one top-flight goal alongside his four assists.
Ange Postecoglou has revived Rogic to his former glories in Glasgow, however. The Hoops boss has given his compatriot a key role in his plans with 40 games in all competitions, 27 he started. Rogic has also already hit home five goals and created another 10 this season.
Christie hopes fans remember ‘underappreciated’ Rogic as a Celtic legend
Rogic enthralled Christie while together at Celtic before the latter joined Bournemouth last summer when Postecoglou granted a £2.5m transfer. The Australian continually stood out to the midfielder at Lennoxtown, and has since shown Christie he is returning to his best.
“Big Tom Rogic is probably stepping into the limelight again,” Christie said. “He’s had some hard times, some dips and injuries. But some of the stuff he’d do in training I’d think he was so underappreciated.
“You hope in these years to come, these kind of guys can go down as legends of the club because when you look at what they’ve brought, it’s impressive.”
Rogic has featured for the ninth-most minutes of any Celtic player so far this season across all competitions under Postecoglou. Only Liel Abada (11) has also offered more assists than the midfielder, who ranks sixth in the Parkhead goal rankings after 2,377-minutes of action.
Postecoglou has been without Rogic twice since taking charge at Parkhead, however. The £15k-a-week playmaker missed seven games with a hamstring injury earlier in the season. He also missed three earlier in 2022 whilst representing Australia in World Cup qualifiers.
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