Sylvain Ripoll raves about Celtic midfielder Olivier Ntcham

Follow us on Google Discover

France U21 manager Sylvain Ripoll has showered praise on Celtic midfielder Olivier Ntcham.

France Under-21 manager Sylvain Ripoll has showered praise on Celtic midfielder Olivier Ntcham, saying he has the capability of becoming a top European player in the future.

Ripoll, the former Lorient player, believes that Ntcham and his club team-mate Moussa Dembele can win lucrative moves to big clubs in Europe if they continue to progress under Brendan Rodgers.

Ntcham, who joined Celtic during the summer for a £4.5 Million transfer fee, has experienced mixed fortunes during recent months.

The 21-year-old has been exceptional in the Champions League play-off matches, but has failed to perform in the domestic league.

Ripoll has hailed the youngster as a “great player”, and he is confident that his consistency will improve with time as he plays more matches for the Glasgow club.

He adds that both Dembele and Ntcham are very important to the national team selection. The 46-year-old has also praised Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers for the wonderful job he is doing at the Scottish club.

“I was very pleased when Olivier signed for Celtic because I think it’s a very good club for him – and I also thought it was a very good idea for Celtic to sign him because he is a great player. Olivier is important for the collective of the team. He always thinks to the team and has a good technique as well,” said Ripoll, as quoted by the Evening Times.

“Brendan Rodgers is a very, very good manager. I don’t know him personally, but I obviously know the work he has done at the clubs he has been at in his career, at Swansea City, at Liverpool and at Celtic.

“I have a big respect for Brendan Rodgers and how his teams play football. Moussa and Olivier both work with a good manager and that is good for their development.

“I think both Moussa and Olivier also have the potential to go on and do very well in the game in the future. But they have to have the right mentality and they have to work all the time.”