Brendan Rodgers was delighted by Eboue Kouassi’s display in the 3-1 win over Hearts.
The midfielder looked set to go out on loan this month but the hoops boss has decided that the teenager will develop better within the club.
After being out muscled by Hearts in the 4-0 defeat at Tynecastle Rodgers brought in Kouassi to work alongside Scott Brown and Olivier Ntcham with the Edinburgh side unable to live with the intensity of Celtic’s play.
It may have taken him a year to find his feet in the Scottish game but after his performance in the win over Hearts it looks like Kouassi is ready to make his mark.
“He is just very unfortunate not to play more games,” Rodgers told The Sun.
“How I set my team up in the main is with one controlling midfielder and we have more attacking players.
“He is a specialist player, a holding midfield player and of course I have Scott Brown who has been brilliant in all my time here.
“I know I have to get him game because he is a talent and certainly one who will take over from Browny so I have to either get him out or get him games.
“There are a host of teams who want to take him on loan or I have to play him. You saw his intensity tonight. Overall it was a very good performance in both halves.
“We took our chances first half, we didn’t second half but overall an outstanding team performance. The intensity in the game was there.”
With Stuart Armstrong and Tom Rogic to come back into the squad Rodgers certainly isn’t short of midfield options.
Scott Sinclair and Callum McGregor had to settle for places on the bench while new bhoy Charly Musonda is expected to make his first start away to Kilmarnock on Saturday.
