Celtic’s Luke McCowan tipped for even better season by former boss

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The Celtic Star

·25 de junio de 2025

Celtic’s Luke McCowan tipped for even better season by former boss

It’s fair to say that Luke McCowan had a fairly satisfactory first season as a Celtic player after coming in from Dundee in the last few hours of the summer transfer window in 2024, with Celtic paying the Dens Park club a fee of around £1m for their captain…

Luke McCowan of Dundee celebrates after scoring equaliser from penalty spot to make it 2-2 Dundee v Dundee United, William Hill Premiership, Football at Dens Park on 4 August 2024. Photo Alan Rennie/Shutterstock

Tony Docherty was the manager at Dundee last season and surprisingly and rather harshly in most people’s assessment he was sacked at of the season despite keeping Dundee in the Scottish Premiership and also avoiding the play-offs, at the expense of Ross County who ended up losing their place in the top division to Livingston.

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David Martindale has revealed that Livingston were told they had to change the pitch at Almondvale or they would be denied promotion to the Premiership.
– miércoles, 25 de junio de 2025

And talking about Livingston, David Martindale has been saying today that the West Lothian side were told by the SPFL that they would NOT be re-admitted to the Scottish Premiership unless they changed their plastic pitch to something more satisfactory. They have lifted the old surface and will have a new plastic surface for us to endure in the new season.

Livingston come to Celtic Park first, so unless they make the top six we’re likely only to have to play on it once in the Scottish Premiership in the new season.

17th April 2024 Dens Park, Dundee, Scotland Scottish Premiership Football, Dundee versus Rangers Dundee manager Tony Docherty hugs Luke McCowan at the end of the match. Photo ActionPlus – David Young

Anyway back to Luke McCowan and Tony Docherty has been speaking about his former skipper at Dundee in an interview in the Record. And he was full of praise for his former player believing that he’ll be even better in his second season at the club after having the first year to find his feet and get to know exactly what is required of a Celtic player.

“Did I always think he could play for a club the size of Celtic? I would say the simple answer to that is yes,” Tony Docherty said to Daily Record. “When I came into the club, he was a winger. I thought he was a frustrated wide player because he had so many more attributes in terms of his ability level.

“I always remember in that first pre-season with Dundee, we went down and played Fleetwood. Scott Brown was the manager at the time. During the game, we thought, let’s have a wee look at him in the middle of the pitch, and he scored a goal from the halfway line. He was outstanding.

17th April 2024 Dens Park, Dundee, Scotland Scottish Premiership, Dundee versus theRangers Luke McCowan races away from John Lundstram Photo ActionPlus David Young

“Early on in my first season, he scored an almost identical goal against Hearts, and that was him playing in that midfield role, which I’d seen he had the attributes to do. I think from there, he got a lift from that. He was at that stage of his football career that he wanted responsibility.

“He liked having that responsibility for his team and I gave him that. I formed a great relationship with him, and he just wanted more and more. I’d found a player that was so hungry to do well, initially, for me and for Dundee, but then to progress himself and his career. All the credit goes to him. I really enjoyed working with him.

“He had shortfalls in his game as well. But I think the importance was that we identified them and worked on him. Winning possession back and second balls were some of the things he had to improve on. He did, and he worked harder at every aspect of his game,” Docherty said.

17th April 2024 Dens Park, Scottish Premiership Dundee versus theRangers. Luke McCowan during the warm-up . Photo ActionPlus David Young

“It’s well documented that it was a bit of a gutter for me last season, because I lost two captains. My first captain, Joe Shaugnessy, I lost through injury. But that really allowed Luke to step up to the plate. He was at that stage of his career where he was looking for that responsibility. He was my guy in the dressing room, he was pivotal to everything.

“And it was a big blow to lose him on the last day of the transfer window, because he was more than just a player in that dressing room. He drove people on, and he was a really, really strong character, and one that you know, when the door shuts, he carries on your message when you walk out of the room.”

“He came into the game a bit later”, Docherty added. “If you look at his background, I think he told me he was a swimming pool attendant or something like that at some stage. It’s a wee bit similar to Simon Murray. When they come into the game later, they’re so hungry.

Brendan Rodger and Tony Docherty ahead of kick-off. Dens Park, Dundee v Celtic. 14th January 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

“Every training session and football game is so important to them. You get absolutely everything from them. So I think, allied with his technical ability, with his hunger, he’s just got a really strong mentality and he wants to show everybody how good he is. If he’s playing against an opponent directly, he wants to show he’s better than them. That’s what makes him stand out.”

Luke McCowan stats in his first season at Celtic certainly look fine with seven goals and nine assists towards the season where Celtic won the title at a canter and played out penalty shoot-outs in the two cup finals, winning the League Cup in December against theRangers but losing to Aberdeen in May in the Scottish Cup Final.

Luke McCowan celebrates. Aberdeen 1-5 Celtic. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Docherty reckons that McCowan will be even better next season for Celtic. “When he got his move to Celtic, I knew how successful he would be. It’s rewarding to see him involved at that level, playing in Champions League nights and all that kind of stuff.

“I actually remember taking him into my room and telling him (that Dundee had accepted the bid from Celtic).. It was great, because for me, that’s the rewarding thing about the job. When you work with a player like Luke, I see how hard he trains every day. Yeah, he’s a Celtic fan and it was a fantastic move for him, but a move that he really earned.

“I’d like to think I helped him, and because of that, I took great pleasure in taking him into my room and shaking his hand. But listen, he’s there now, and he’s there on absolute merit. I’ve got his back. He’s got a big season coming up now, and he’s got to improve. I think he did that last year. A lot of people have seen how good a player he is.

Luke McCowan celebrates his goal with James Forrest. Photo Vagelis Georgariou for The Celtic Star

“For me, he’ll get better this year, because he’s now got experience behind him of playing at Celtic, something that he wanted to do when he was a kid. He’s now done it, but he now realises he’s a big player there, so he’s got to contribute like he did last year.

“I’ve got to say, he’s working with an absolutely brilliant manager as well on a day-to-day basis. Brendan Rodgers and his coaching staff will get even more out of him.”

Luke McCowan scores for Celtic at. Dens Park, Dundee v Celtic. 14th January 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

Tony Docherty always comes across as a class act. He had Dundee playing some great, entertaining football last season, this games against Celtic and theRangers at Dens Park were among the most enjoyable games of the season for Sky Sports viewers.

Hopefully he’s back in the game sooner rather than later.

Alec McNair, Celtic’s Icicle by David Potter. Available at Celticstarbooks.com

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