Skill, power and athleticism are three words you could associate with Bosun Lawal’s second-half display in Celtic’s stalemate with Ayr United last Friday.
In reality, it was an unfamiliar Hoops side cobbled together with some first-team regulars, fringe players and youth stars all gaining minutes, which is standard practice at this stage of pre-season.
Overall, 23 players took part in a valuable exercise against Scott Brown’s men. Lawal stood out to Brendan Rodgers’ delight, and he praised his contribution post-match after a clash that failed to set the heather alight.
Rodgers explained: “I really like Bosun. He is a player that has got a lot of physical attributes. But what he has as well is a lot of football ability. He’s been out on loan and you can see he has had that experience and has that power and quality to break through. We saw that this evening. Really pleased for him.”
Having been at the game myself, I echo the Irishman’s sentiment fully. On the same token, he may have answered a dilemma about Lawal following his impressive loan spell last year.
The Bosun Lawal positional dilemma could have an answer
Celtic initially profiled Lawal as a central defender at B Team level, which isn’t a major surprise given his stature and ability to progress play from deep.
Nevertheless, his time at Fleetwood Town last season taught us that there is far more than meets the eye with the 21-year-old, who registered six goals and two assists in 47 appearances south of the border.
Thriving in the engine room, the Republic of Ireland Under-21 international is thought of as a potential star of the future in his homeland. He even earned a call-up to their senior squad over the summer ahead of their victory over Hungary.
Watching his striding runs and ability to carry possession between the thirds last week consolidated one thing in my mind: Lawal is a midfielder, and that is where he should be utilised over the coming season.
Bodies are set to come and go at Celtic in the key area, potentially paving the way for fresh faces to add impetus moving forward. Furthermore, there is a surplus of central defenders already at Parkhead, so there shouldn’t be another added to the pile while Rodgers continues to structure his squad.
It is early days, and Lawal still has to show his credentials against a higher level of opposition, no disrespect to Ayr United intended. Regardless, his skillset will be maximised best in a midfield berth.
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