Pukki proves reported Celtic target Lawrence Shankland can reach the top according to former teammate

Follow us on Google Discover

Teemu Pukki scored just seven Scottish Premiership goals for Celtic but he’s starring in the Premier League with Norwich City now.

Kenny McLean has compared Lawrence Shankland to his Norwich City team-mate Teemu Pukki and believes there are ‘no limits’ for the reported Celtic target, speaking to the Daily Record.

Forget Alfredo Morelos or Odsonne Edouard, Shankland is the most prolific goalscorer in Scottish football right now. He’s scored 15 goals in all competitions since joining Dundee United from Ayr with 13 of those coming in just eight Championship games.

The Daily Record claimed last week that Celtic, as well as Old Firm rivals Rangers, sent scout Tosh McKinlay to watch the 24-year-old fire a hat-trick past Morton with Shankland’s price-tag soaring to £2 million as a result (Shields Gazette).

Now, should this old-school fox-in-the-box get his big break at Parkhead, he will hope to do far better than Pukki.

The Finnish poacher has been a revelation in the Premier League for Norwich but he famously struggled in green and white, netting just seven times in 26 Premiership games for Celtic.

McLean has played alongside both Pukki and Shankland at club level so the Scotland international midfielder is well placed to give his verdict on both.

“That’s an art for strikers really and the types of finishes (Shankland) gives you are so varied. He finishes from anywhere and he’s just such a threat,” said the Canaries star.

“People speak about Teemu Pukki when he was in Scotland and now he’s banging goals in in the Premier League. So for a striker it’s sometimes hard to gauge how far they can go but if he continues to score then there’s no limits for him really.

“He’ll just get better with the quality that’s around him.”

With Vakoun Issouf Bayo yet to really establish himself and Leigh Griffiths yet to find his golden touch again, there may be room at Celtic for one more striker and Shankland could thrive with the likes of James Forrest, Callum McGregor and Mohamed Elyounoussi providing the ammunition.