The ability to be versatile and change position is becoming more of a regular commodity in football and that can certainly be applied to Celtic.
Just look at Hoops midfielder David Turnbull. The 21-year-old can play on the wing or through the middle as a playmaker.
Assess Ryan Christie too, another player to feature in central and wide positions. That being said, not many can play in defence and as a striker.
That’s the intriguing dynamic that sets a certain Adam Montgomery apart from the rest.
Once a centre-forward, the 18-year-old has transitioned into becoming a left-back courtesy of work at Lennoxtown with Darren O’Dea.
He has gone from being a self-professed “tricky” winger to someone who now has to withstand the relentless attacks of players who possess similar qualities.
Montgomery has had to learn a completely new trade but it’s clearly been game-changing in terms of his development.
Do you miss Tierney?
Definitely
No chance
With Odsonne Edouard the leading light in Celtic’s side, very rarely does he get usurped as their main striker. Behind him this season he has had Leigh Griffiths, Albian Ajeti and Patryk Klimala all scrambling for game time.
With that in mind, a first-team breakthrough for players like Cameron Harper and Armstrong Oko-Flex seemed farfetched. Harper has already left while the latter nearly joined Huddersfield in January, events that summed up what they thought about their prospects in Glasgow.
Montgomery, however, has been patient and willing to adapt. Now a defender, he appeared in a matchday squad at senior level for the first time when Celtic beat Aberdeen in February.
The teenager has never played a minute for the first-team but he has now appeared among the substitutes on three occasions.
Considering his position change, he clearly has a lot of work to do before he makes it in men’s football. That being said, with the guidance and influence Montgomery has at his disposal, he’s set for a bright future.
There is a lot to like about the youngster, a player who judging by his attacking qualities, could be the club’s new Kieran Tierney.
The Scotland international departed for £25m in the summer of 2019 and Celtic will be regularly scanning their academy to find a suitable replacement.
In Montgomery, they have a very capable one. He is not first-team ready yet but he could be next season.
Speaking to the club’s official media channels, he revealed that Tierney has been a vision for where he wants to be: “100 percent. Him being here from a young age, breaking into the team as a full-back and now you look at him doing so well at Arsenal, he’s a player that I’ve really looked up to since I made that move to full-back myself.”
Having also sought council from Greg Taylor, Montgomery is doing all the right things to develop his game and become one of your typical modern-day full-backs. Advice from John Kennedy should also help too.
He was a major figure for Tierney when he first came through the ranks at Paradise.
Combine those elements with Diego Laxalt’s horror show against Rangers on Sunday and bringing through another left-back is certainly a good idea.
Montgomery is undoubtedly one to keep an eye on in the coming months.
AND in other news, Celtic manager hunt could move rapidly today after major behind-the-scenes development…
