The Hoops have brought the Republic of Ireland Under-19 star to Parkhead after his Southampton contract expired.
Celtic new-boy Jonathan Afolabi has been praised by Republic of Ireland Under-19s coach Tom Mohan, who spoke of the player’s talent, high quality, and having “has all the attributes you would associate with the best centre-forwards” (Herald Scotland).
The 19-year-old was out of contract after he failed to agree a new deal at Southampton and has linked up with the Hoops, penning a three-year deal at Parkhead and becoming Neil Lennon’s fifth signing of the transfer window, which closes in Scotland on 2 September (Sky Sports News).
Afolabi played five times for Southampton in the EFL Trophy but never featured for them in the Premier League, while at international level, he played a key role as the Republic of Ireland Under-19s reached the semi-finals of this summer’s European U19 Championships in Armenia.
Having coached the striker in the ROI youth setup, Mohan has a clear idea of what the youngster brings to the table attribute, skill and personality-wise, and believes that the Bhoys have got themselves a superb asset and star for the future.
“Johnny was named in the team of the tournament in the Euros, so that goes to show the quality of player that he is,” said Mohan. “He has all the attributes you would associate with the best centre-forwards. He’s big, strong, he holds the ball up well, and he isn’t afraid to run at people. He’s positive and he scores goals. Everybody looks at him and sees he is a big, strong fella, but there is much more to his game than just power and pace. He’s got a great touch too. He has even shown in the past that he is comfortable playing out wide.
“It can be dangerous to say who is going to do what in the game. The big test is playing senior football and playing against men, and that’s the next challenge for Johnny. He realises that. It’s all down to the player, we’re dealing with potential at the moment, but he’s definitely got the attributes to go far. I can only base it on what I’ve seen, but he has come up against the real top-level nations and he has acquitted himself really well. He played a massive role in our success and getting to the European semis.”
Afolabi was in the crowd at Celtic Park on Saturday as the Hoops defeated Dunfermline 2-1 after extra-time to advance to the quarter-finals of the Scottish League Cup.
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