Did he show bottle? Watch Brendan Rodgers give his Adam Idah verdict

Adam Idah appears very close to becoming Celtic’s first choice striker.

There was no fanfare to greet his arrival on loan from Norwich City last week but with two goals from the penalty spot last night against Hibs the new bhoy was undoubtedly the star of the show.

Converting penalties has been a recurring problem for Celtic this season with Luis Palma managing to miss twice from the spot in the recent win over Ross County.

Idah confidently scored two high pressure penalties to secure a win over Hibs with his physical presence creating a new issue for opponents to deal with after Kyogo Furuhashi was first choice striker throughout 2023.

For a variety of reasons the goals haven’t been flowing so freely this season, judging by his first stint at Celtic Rodgers always feels more comfortable when he has a physical unit like Odsonne Edouard or Moussa Dembele as the focus of his side’s attack.

Do you have a penalty taker now?

We’ll see. He’s taken six penalties before coming in so I knew what he could do. He scored a great penalty against Holland for the Republic of Ireland. You just see how he addresses it and how he is. He knows he’s a penalty taker.

He was against David Marshall, who’s had a fantastic career in the game and is a top goalkeeper, there’s a psychological test there as well and he came through that. I’m really, really pleased for him. It’s a great night for him on his first start to score two goals and winning goals. I’m pleased for him.

Did Idah show bottle in those moments?

Time will tell. For me, it’s always about time. Players will always come in here with talent. We’ve seen it over many, many years. To survive at Celtic you’ve got to have mental toughness, you’ve got to be strong. I’ll assess that over time.

To step up, especially so late in the game, to take that penalty and be so assured, it’s a great moment for him in front of our supporters.

With little creativity on the wings Rodgers must be tempted to pair Idah and Kyogo against St Mirren on Sunday.

Losing one winger or switching to a 4-4-2 formation must be an option for the St Mirren tie, in three SPFL matches since the split Celtic’s four goals have come from two deflections and two penalty kicks.