USA's Pochettino coy on Trusty withdrawal
United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino says it is difficult to explain Celtic centre-half Auston Trusty's withdrawal from the current camp because he is not a doctor. (The Herald), externalRead Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full.
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Daily Record
10 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Brendan Rodgers warned Kyogo is a no-go for a Celtic return but boss needs new faces to keep trophy hunger alive
Former Scotland star Don Hutchison thinks it's a big summer for Celts and there were also words of advice for target Lennon Miller Celtic are going back to the future with Kieran Tierney set to return to the club after five years at Arsenal. And the hero's return comes just six months after Jota made an emotional comeback at the club. It's no wonder Hoops fans are looking around for some more former favourites to sign up for another spell at the club. Punters would take Matt O'Riley back in a heartbeat, with the £25m midfielder dropping a major hint he's not that happy at Brighton after battling back from long term injury. But it's a modern day legend who they'd really love to see sticking on the Hoops again – Kyogo. The frontman only left in January with his £10m move to Rennes, but the Japanese ace has suffered a miserable time in France. No goals, just a handful of appearances and a new manager who clearly isn't convinced. Celtic supporters would roll out the red carpet – but they have been warned Brendan Rodgers it's not alway wise to go back. Former Liverpool and Scotland star Don Hutchison – who did two stints at West Ham – has warned against turning back the clock. Hutchison, speaking to Gambling Zone, said: 'I've not seen a load of him (in France), to be honest. I saw him when he played up in Scotland. I think he's a player that fits. He's a very good player. But it's not going his way right now, obviously, and there's a chance Celtic benefit from looking forward rather than to the past.' Kyogo might remain in the part but Hutchison insisted Hoops boss Rodgers has some big decisions to make for the future. Celts have hoovered up back-to-back Doubles but the manager has admitted he's keen to bolster his squad this summer. Hutchison said: 'That's always the dilemma, I think, for a manager when you win. I always liken it to teams, when you come up from the Championship – do you stay loyal, or do you move them on? "And Brendan's probably having that exact same conversation. Right, the players that have won us a lot, do I stay loyal? 'Character-wise, you'll know them inside out. 'But then you've got to have that foresight to think, who's going to drop off, who might be the player that goes complacent, who might be the player that over the last couple of years or months, has been the one that's just slacked off a little bit or who's just picked up one or two injuries, do I try and freshen it up with younger players? 'I'm a player that's played for 20 years in a lot of dressing rooms. And when you see a new signing coming in, it does have a bit of a weird effect in a good way. It can brighten the mood off the pitch and brighten the tempo on the pitch. When a new player comes in, he tries to impress and that alone can galvanise. "If he plays in your position, you're then trying to impress because you want to tell the boss that he's not just going to come in and take your place. The competitive edge definitely goes up a yard when new players get brought in.' Celtic are keeping tabs on Motherwell wonder kid Lennon Miller – with clubs in Europe also in the hunt. Hutchison has been keeping an eye on the emerging talent and he insisted it's vital the teenager doesn't become a squad player at his next club. He said: 'When you're someone like him who's a good young player, it's all about the games. It's about the amount of games that you play. There's a great saying: availability is the best ability. It means you've got to be fit, so you've got to stay away from injuries. 'Availability means you've got to be in the manager's plans to be starting games. Availability means you've got to be consistent enough to churn out the games. 'And when I was young, when I tried to play 10, 15 games a season, it felt great. Then you want to try and hit 25 and 30 and then you want to be durable enough to be ever-present and play every game in a season. 'Someone like Lennon Miller, it's now being consistent in your performances and the amount of games that you play, and that's what makes you fitter and stronger and better.'
STV News
31 minutes ago
- STV News
Rangers chief confident on closing gap on Celtic after ‘seismic week'
Rangers chief executive Patrick Stewart says he's very confident the Ibrox club can close the gap on rivals Celtic after what he described as a 'seismic period' for the club. Stewart was speaking after a whirlwind week at Rangers where the club introduced Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises as the new owners, Kevin Thelwell as sporting director, and Russell Martin as the new coach of the men's first team. 'It clearly is incredibly significant,' the chief executive said. 'I think that's three seismic changes. We've had a change of ownership, followed by a sporting director coming in, followed by a head coach being announced. 'That's an awful lot of activity for one club in one week. I think it does herald a really positive new chapter for the club. 'It is a seismic period and sets a really strong foundation for the future.' The new regime at Ibrox aim to deliver sustained success in domestic competition, as well as progress in Europe, but finished last season 17 points behind a Celtic side that has won the title four years in a row and had a virtual stranglehold on silverware in Scotland. In the last five seasons Rangers have won three trophies, while Celtic have racked up nine and underlined their position as the strongest side in the country. Stewart says he is convinced that the balance of power will change, and that it will happen more quickly with new faces at the club and an imminent cash investment of £20m through a share issue. 'From the outset of taking on this role, I've always been confident that we can close any gap, if it exists, within Scotland,' he said. 'And I've always been confident we can do that with or without new investment. 'What the new investment allows us to do is accelerate on the plans and strategy. 'I've always been confident we can do that, and now we have new ownership that are highly engaged, highly committed, and we're bringing in new management like Kevin on Monday and Russell today, I think we are in a really good position. 'Of course I'm confident. I'm very confident about that.' SNS Group Russell Martin was unveiled as the new head coach of Rangers after a months-long recruitment process. Central to hopes of getting to the top of Scottish football is the appointment of Martin, who is tasked with delivering a winning side. The former MK Dons, Swansea and Southampton boss is the permanent successor to Philippe Clement, who was sacked in February. A number of candidates were linked with the club, and former Real Madrid coach Davide Ancelotti was one under serious consideration, but the chief executive said the long wait to make a decision was down to a rigorous process to make sure the right individual was brought in. 'It's been a lengthy process, we don't shy away from that and I think to some people's frustration it's not been more quick, Stewart explained. 'The first thing that we wanted to do was make sure we were hiring a head coach that matched the style of football we believe we need to play to be successful on a long-term basis. 'Once we had identified that, there's a lot of data analysis and it creates a lot of long lists. Then there's video analysis to look at how their teams perform. There's a lot of interviews to understand the character of the various candidates and then there's references taken so you understand how they worked in practice and it's not just a good interview. 'So that's a very long process and throughout that I've seen names who have been mentioned in the media, some who may have been involved and some who may not. 'But we only made one offer for this role and that was to Russell Martin. 'We're delighted he accepted it.' News of Martin's appointment has been met with hostility from some of the Rangers support, with many unconvinced that the former player, who had an underwhelming loan spell at Ibrox in 2018, is the best choice. 'We're always very sensitive and aware of supporter sentiment on any issue,' Stewart insisted. 'I'm aware that supporters have strong views on who the right person for the role is. 'We'll always factor that in to a degree but equally, I've been talking a lot about process and making sure we have people and experts in who are qualified to make decisions. 'We really put our trust in a process and making sure we've got the right people to make decisions and it really has been following that with a lot of discipline. 'We're not oblivious to the noise at all. Not at all. 'But we are confident that because we've conducted such a thorough process to take us to this point where we've appointed Russell, we're confident the fans will get behind him, especially when they see him in action.' SNS Group Rangers sporting director Kevin Thelwell says Russell Martin was brought in to deliver a specific style of play New sporting director Thelwell spelled out exactly why the club saw Martin as the man to shape the team for a new era. 'We all know what the job is,' he said. 'The job is to win. 'We're committed to that and we understand that Rangers Football Club has to appoint a head coach that helps the team to win. 'Of course, we think the best way of winning, certainly in terms of SPFL and Europe, is to play in a particular way. 'What we think in terms of a style that best befits a Rangers team is a style that dominates all aspects of the game. My expectation is that it's what he fans would want from a Rangers team. 'They want us to be super-aggressive when we're in possession, keep the ball, control the games. The games should be less transitional, with respect. 'And out of possession we should be aggressive and attacking without the ball. Dominating opponents when we've got it and they've got it. 'So we were looking for an individual who would understand Rangers, understand the context of what's needed and the pressure of what's required, and then be able to deliver the style that not only best befits this club but also gives us the best chance of winning. 'Through the process, that was Russell Martin.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Celtic's Daizen Maeda asking price revealed as Jose Mourinho and Ange Postecolgou ‘poised for transfer battle over hero'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) JOSE MOURINHO is ready to test Celtic's resolve with a sizeable Fenerbahce bid for Hoops player of the year Daizen Maeda, it's being claimed out in Turkey. The little Japan star bagged a whopping 33 goals this season and ended with a haul of individual awards. 2 Daizen Maeda in action Credit: Kenny Ramsay 2 Daizen Maeda and Ange Postecoglou Credit: Reuters And that's led to no shortage of interest in the 27-year-old, particularly from managers who know exactly how effective can be. Two men with a keen eye on Scottish football are Jose Mourinho and Ange Postecoglou, even if rumours about the Aussie's future at Spurs refuse to go away. And now Turkish outlet Sokcu are claiming that Fenerbahce are "very determined" to complete the transfer of Maeda, who has been excused international duty with Japan as he spends time with a new child back home. But they also claim Celtic are demanding at least £25m for the player - and say that an interest from Tottenham has made their job "a little more difficult". Only earlier this week, Maeda had given Hoops bosses a boost about staying for next season - but things can change quickly in football. He said: "I was in great form this season, both personally and so were the team. "So I'd like to keep it going next season. "I am who I am because of my team, Celtic. "I'd like to thank my teammates and, above all, my family for supporting me so far. "I'd be happy if I could score more goals next season. I hope the number of goals will continue to increase." Celtic ace lookalike goes viral in hilarious vids spoofing Hoops star Daizen Maeda Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
