Jan still out but Sheridan to take a back seat

Last updated : 13 December 2008 By Mikbhoy

The big striker has been a major influence in Strachan's team, both on and off the pitch, since signing from PSV Eindhoven in the summer of 2006 "We do believe that if Jan had been in the squad there would be an improvement in play, the same goes for Marc Crosas," he said. "The squad is diminished when they are not there. Jan is somebody with a presence. You feel great in the tunnel if he's in your team. If you look across and see him, then that helps you."

Strachan will have to wait a bit longer though before Vennegoor of Hesselink is available for first team selection "Jan has not joined us for training yet," he said "but Marc will be back for the Old Firm game if everything goes to plan. That's eight weeks Jan has been out now and it's a long time. That is someone's pre-season. He's kept ticking over for the last two weeks, but that's not the same. I have a committee of senior guys I always go to when I make a decision and to bounce ideas off and Jan is one of them. So he knows what we think about him."

Cillian Sheridan has tried to make the most of the opportunities presented to him through the Dutch international's absence but the young Irishman found himself back on the bench in midweek when the manager elected to go with a front pairing of Samaras and Maloney in the Champions League tie against Villarreal.

"It was hard when I was left out when Georgios came back but that is always going to be the case at a club like Celtic," said Sheridan "It's when everyone is fit that you have to show the manager how good a player you really are. I still feel I'm a reserve player. I have a lot to learn and I need to get stronger. It was hard losing at Easter Road but especially because we had a great run of 12 Premier League victories. That was a new experience for me but even the older guys were upset. The manager is a great help - he pulls me aside in training and tells me what I am doing wrong."

The manager himself thinks Sheridan will benefit from more coaching time now that Samaras and Vennegoor of Hesselink are well on their way to recovery "Cillian has done superbly for us but he now has to take a back seat to learn the game, something he has not had a chance to do because he was injured for a long time," the Celtic manager said. "I just thought it was getting a bit much for him, in that he had to play and be coached at the same time in an atmosphere here where you need to win games. It's not easy. All the kids at Celtic have their every move scrutinised, so it would be nice for him to learn the game without that pressure."

Strachan insists that one of the biggest thrills in his job is watching the young players progress through the system at Lennoxtown and that indeed it was one of the main attractions of the manager's post at Celtic Park "We are happy with the kids at Celtic. We seem to have a lot coming through and they do train with us." he said "We give them a long time to make a decision on them. Some come through, for others it's too much for them but as long as we send them away with the ability to make a living elsewhere, then we can be quite proud of that. Developing youngsters is why I came to this job. There is nothing better than see someone come through."