A year ago Eboue Kouassi was preparing for a Betfred Cup semi-final against Hearts at Murrayfield. The midfielder was standing in for the injured Scott Brown with Ryan Christie starting on the bench.
To say that it has been a year of contrasts for the two midfielder is something of an understatement.
When Kouassi stretched for a ball during the first half he couldn’t have anticipated that he was about to suffer cruciate ligament damage, as Christie came on for Olivier Ntcham at half-time no one was predicting that he was about to put his stamp on the Celtic side and salvage his hoops career.
The former Inverness Caley kid will be in the spotlight tonight against Lazio but next to nothing has been seen of Kouassi other than training ground pictures. Yesterday, on Instagram, Kouassi posted a reminder that he is still at the club, sharing a picture alongside Odsonne Edouard.
The Ivorian put in fleeting performances under Brendan Rodgers, there were hints of a potential Scott Brown replacement but after a year out of action he looks to have little future at the club as he prepares for a return to playing.
Strange things do happen in football, players can disappear quickly but the opposite is also the case. If Kouassi needs any inspiration all he needs to do is look across the training pitch and look at how Christie’s career has turned around over the last 365 days.
