Defender Paul McGinn paid tribute to Kyogo Furuhashi and the ‘unbelievable’ Tom Rogic after Hibernian’s 2-1 defeat to Celtic in the Scottish League Cup final, speaking to The Mail.
If King Kyogo is the posterboy of Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic – following his manager from Japan and taking Scottish football by storm – then Tom Rogic epitomises the manager’s water-into-wine capabilities.
Not so long ago, the Australia international appeared to be on his way out of Parkhead. Fitness and form had deserted him. And a £3.5 million move to Qatar only fell apart at the eleventh hour 15 months ago.
Postecoglou will be glad it did.
Since reuniting with his former Socceroos boss in Glasgow, Rogic has been a man reborn, Brendan Rodgers’ so-called ‘Magic Man’ waving his wand and casting a spell over Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup final.
Can Postecoglou’s Celtic win the domestic treble again?
“Tom Rogic is an unbelievable football player,” sighed a dejected McGinn.
It was Rogic who set up Kyogo’s second-half winner, a glorious flighted free-kick catching out the Hibs backline before Celtic’s Samurai striker finished in style.
Controversial it might have been – Hibernian’s players had stopped, expecting a substitute to be made – the beauty of Celtic’s winner was in it’s simplicity.
“There were times where (Rogic) ran the show. If he turns and drives past a few before playing someone in, then fair enough,” McGinn adds.
‘The first goal against us was far too simple. (Furuhashi) is sharp and he’s a killer. He was the difference maker today and has great movement.”
Kyogo’s Hampden Park heroics mean he has now scored 16 goals in 25 games. The £4.6 million fee paid to J-League giants Vissel Kobe looks cheaper by the day.
If Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and Yosuke Ideguchi can emulate his impact, then we’ll have a title race for the ages to look forward to in the spring.
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