Callum Osmand has bond with Martin O’Neill after Celtic trust | OneFootball

Celtic interim coach Shaun Maloney had discussed Callum Osmand’s inclusion into the Celtic first team. Maloney stepped into the dugout to assist returning legendary manager Martin O’Neill, who was named as interim manager following Brendan Rodgers’ shock resignation.

Celtic have played with a lot more aggression, winning 4-0 against Falkirk as well as 3-1 against Rangers. Speaking in an interview with Celtic TV, the former Hibs manager explained Stephen McManus’ influence in bringing him into the first team but that Martin O’Neil has given the striker the confidence to go on and perform.

“Stephen has worked with Callum, we’ve all seen him now train, and he’s now getting to a point where you can’t really hold him back. Then it’s how the boy takes the actual opportunity.

“I knew with Martin, coming on Tuesday night when I met him for dinner to go through the squad and the players, I knew he would love Callum. He’s the exact type of striker that the manager would like. And yeah, you can sense that sort of bond between the manager and Callum already, that he feels his trust.”

Maloney praised Osmand’s mentality before the goal, in which he fought back for possession before finding the net. The player had a number of chances and was foiled twice by Jack Butland. Despite this, he kept going and got his reward.

“I think to actually then go and produce a massive moment like that in the semi-final against your biggest rivals, not many people are able to do that.

“The best part of that goal was actually, he took a really bad touch about 10 seconds before he scores and he had the aggression to go and win it back, and it was probably that throughout the team that I really enjoyed.

“We’re going to make mistakes, we try passes, we’re going to lose, but the aggression to win it back, and sort of that one moment of Callum to do that, was one of my favourites from the game on Sunday, to make a mistake and just show aggression to win it back.”

Celtic are reportedly considering utilising a new UEFA rule to cap it use the unfortunate longterm injury of Cameron Carter-Vickers to allow Osmand to be included in the UEFA squad.

The absence of Osmand from the matchday squads in the first part of the season under Rodgers has raised questions about what the Irishman was thinking. Osmand has shown himself to be fast, eager and capable with huge potential. Hopefully he can kick on and really develop at Celtic.