After arriving from West Brom last summer, Cristian Gamboa appears to have failed to win over Brendan Rodgers at Celtic.
It’s difficult to judge Christian Gamboa’s debut season at Celtic. On one hand, the Costa Rican international has often impressed when given an opportunity in the starting XI with a number of Hoops supporters hoping to see more of the jet-heeled right-back.
On the other, the fact that manager Brendan Rodgers has trusted him with just 13 Scottish Premiership starts suggests he has a lot to do to ensure he is more than just an afterthought at Parkhead.
And with the experienced Mikael Lustig firmly established as Rodgers’ first-choice fullback, you wonder what the future holds for the affable Gamboa.
The fact that the Northern Irishman subbed him off at half-time in Celtic’s final game of the season against Hearts on Saturday certainly doesn’t end the campaign on a positive note.
The 27-year-old was replaced by midfielder Tom Rogic at the interval as the runaway champions aimed to break the deadlock. And, inevitably, they did. Leigh Griffiths netted the opener five minutes into the second half before Stuart Armstrong struck a late clincher.
Brendan Rodgers
However, the fact that it was Gamboa who was sacrificed speaks volumes about his standing under Rodgers. In fact, it would be little surprise if the former Liverpool boss attempted to upgrade the one-time West Brom defender in the summer.
As reported by the Daily Record, Celtic have already been linked with Steaua Bucharest’s Romanian international Ovidiu Popescu. Meanwhile, 18-year-old right-back Anthony Ralston was handed his league debut against St Johnstone recently, suggesting he has a big part to play in Celtic’s future.
Celtic’s Anthony Ralston
Gamboa, however, may be lucky to remain beyond the summer.
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