Paddy McCourt is something of an enigma in the best sense of the word. When he was first signed by Celtic there were many stories of his brilliance from different quarters. However there were even more stories regarding his legendary lack of fitness as reportedly his first training session at Celtic resulted in the slight Irishman losing his lunch all over the training pitch.
McCourt shined in the reserve matches that I saw him play in last season. Handed a free role behind Ben Hutchison in a 4-4-1-1 Formation the Bhoy from Derry was capable of some real brilliance. As a natural gifted ball player Paddy was adept at going past players with ease and was more than capable of a killer final pass.
Now a new boss has arrived and McCourt is hoping to make the step up to first team contender. After a stunning solo goal in a friendly against Cork the other night Neil Lennon has hopes that Paddy can learn enough at this level to make a major contribution to the Celtic cause.
"He's a maverick really and some of the stuff he does with a ball is tremendous.
"He does things off the cuff and his goal showed that.
"He's a talented boy and he can only get better. Paddy is still learning the game at the professional level but he is a stand-out player at times. There is no doubt about that.
"How far can he go? That's up to Paddy really. If he keeps progressing the way he is, then he'll do well.
"He's already caught the manager's eye and he has come off the bench a few times this season."
Meanwhile Lenny was pleased with the opportunity to test out some of the up-and-coming stars of the future "It was a good exercise for our players and I was impressed with Cork. There's a lot of talent in Ireland and scouts are flocking over all the time."
"We have a few Irish lads in the squad and we'll keep coming over."
Finally in other news Tony Mowbray has won the first manager of the month award for the new season. Get used to it Tony. With a bit of luck you will be lifting a few more trophies before the seasons finished.
Yours in Celtic
Clydebuilt