Neil Lennon has compared new bhoy Albion Ajeti with Gary Hooper.
Back in 2010 the Irishman picked up on the wreckage of Tony Mowbray’s reign, inhering Marco Fortune, Georgios Samaras and Morten Rasmussen as striking options after Robbie Keane returned to Spurs after a successful loan spell.
Scunthorpe isn’t known as a footballing nursery with the CV of their top scorer screaming out the phrase Journeyman.
Hooper had worked his way up from Grays, Southend, Orient and Hereford but given the chance at Celtic he proved to be star quality.
Mainly alongside Anthony Stokes, Hooper literally scored goals for fun with 82 over three seasons including goals home and away in the Champions League against Spartak Moscow before signing off with a double against Hibs in the 2013 Scottish Cup Final.
Ajeti comes to Celtic as a Swiss internationalist after graduating from the Basel Academy but in terms of style he has reminded Lennon of another striker signed a decade ago.
Discussing his new striker, the Celtic boss told the Daily Record:
Ajeti is still a little bit short in terms of overall fitness, but he’s trained well and will be in the squad. We were very keen on him last summer. He went to West Ham for a lot of money and things didn’t work out for him, but I don’t think you lose the ability.
You maybe lose a bit of confidence or self belief, but the talent is there. He just needs to get his head switched on to Celtic now and hit the ground running. Albian is a goalscorer. He’s smart, he has good presence at the top end of the pitch.
He is similar to Gary (Hooper), that sort of intelligent striker. He bumps defenders and can finish off both feet. He is good in the air too, he will get on the end of crosses for us. He’s also been in Britain for a year, so language isn’t a problem and the game tempo is also pretty similar.
Ajeti is expected to be named as a substitute for tonight’s match against KR Reykjavik.