Brought in from Paris Saint-Germain on a season-long loan, Odsonne Édouard didn’t take too long to stamp his mark at Celtic, scoring on his debut in a 4-1 win over Hamilton.
Also picking up an assist in that game, the 19-year-old enjoyed a very prolific youth career, but has since struggled when it comes to playing with the big boys, as exemplified by his rather disappointing season at Toulouse last year, when he scored just one goal in 17 appearances.
But what happened for him to go from scoring 15 goals in 14 caps with France’s U17s to struggling to find the back of the net when making the step up when players like Moussa Dembélé have found it a lot easier?
The ex-director of Paris Saint-Germain’s academy told L’Equipe: “In youth teams, he was used to playing in teams who controlled the ball, it helped him have exceptional stats. The question today is: will he need more time to digest the transition or does he have faults that will hinder him in the long run?”
While Brendan Rodgers appears to have decided to take a gamble on Édouard, some others felt it was too much of a risk, as explained by a scout for an Italian team.
He said: “I have the feeling he’s stagnating. He lacks finesse and technical ability in the last 30 metres. He isn’t Moussa Dembélé. I recently saw him with Paris’ reserves, and he was some way off.
“Far from a Geubbels (who plays for Lyon), who is three years younger than him, for example. The key for Edouard will be to play more regularly.”
Hopefully for Celtic fans, that’s exactly what Brendan Rodgers will be able to give him at Celtic Park, which L’Equipe explain is the reason why the young forward decided to take the move, promised regular time on the pitch.
If his debut is anything to go by, he’s already settled nicely, but only time will tell if this is just a one off performance, or, like Dembélé, he will take the Scottish Premiership by storm.
