Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers tips Dane Murray to be a ‘top player’

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has tipped Dane Murray to be a “top player” after the defender made his long-awaited return to the starting line-up.

The 21-year-old made his second start for Celtic in Saturday’s 5-0 win over Raith Rovers in the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup, three-and-a-half years after his first appearance.

After playing in the Champions League qualifiers in Ange Postecoglou’s first two games as Celtic manager, Murray remained involved with the first-team squad but a serious knee injury hindered his progress.

The centre-back impressed on loan with Queen’s Park in the first half of the season and was handed his third Celtic appearance off the bench in the recent 4-2 defeat by Aston Villa.

Murray was drafted into a much-changed Celtic team as Rodgers utilised his squad ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League knockout phase play-off with Bayern Munich and the manager was delighted with the outcome.

“I was so pleased with Dane Murray,” Rodgers said. “I really think that he can be a really top player.

“I’ve seen him play here, when I was away from Celtic, I think it was the Midtjylland game when he was a young boy at 17. I was impressed with him that night, he was playing as a left-sided centre-half, I think.

“Obviously, he had a real challenge in time with injuries, but he didn’t accept it. He went away and worked on his body and you see that out on the pitch, his power, his speed, dominance. And he can play football.

“So I’m very, very pleased for him. As I said, it’s been a long time since he’s played.

“The guys coming in, you would never have thought they hadn’t been playing as a team. And that’s a great credit to them.”

The Celtic rearguard was the most unfamiliar part of the team, with goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo having a comfortable debut and Jeffrey Schlupp making his first start at left-back following his loan move from Crystal Palace.

Rodgers was pleased with the way the former Leicester player adapted to his tactical instructions.

“It’s a complex system to play,” he said. “Sometimes we ask him to be inside, sometimes on the outside. So for him he’s only in the building, but you can see already he’s starting to figure out what we’re asking him to do.

“Second half was much better, he was more advanced and opened up the lines and then he can move.

“But he’s got Premier League physique and quality. And once he feels the rhythm of the team even more, we’ll get more out of him.”