Coming through the ranks at Paris Saint-Germain, if you’d told Odsonne Edouard that he would, at the age of 20, be spearheading the attack of a historic club like Celtic, he probably wouldn’t have believed you.
Then again, fate is a mysterious thing, and somehow, that’s the hand he ended up being dealt, and he’s absolutely fine with it.
In fact, he rather enjoys it.
Sitting down for a lengthy interview with Onze Mondial, the young forward was asked what it felt like to have all these responsibilities on his shoulders, in front of a rather boisterous crowd.
He said: “Frankly, I don’t feel the pressure. I’m calm. I know what I do best, which is playing football. When I’m on the pitch, I give everything for my teammates, I don’t think about it. I’m here to play football.
“I’m not going to say I don’t care. You can say I’m impervious to pressure. I’ve found the right words. I’m calm but forceful.”
One of the reasons why he joined Celtic in the first place was because of Brendan Rodgers, whose plan for him convinced him to move to the Scottish Premiership champions, and, since then, his opinion of the manager hasn’t wavered.
He explained: “He’s a really good manager. Since the first day I arrived, he speaks to me a lot. He encourages me, makes me feel confident. He’s given me all his experience and knowledge. He’s made me progress in all aspects.
“He’s a very open manager, very close to his players. I like his management and his way of looking at football.”
Plus, the fact he managed to get the best out of someone like Luis Suarez was a bonus for the Celtic striker, meaning ‘when someone like Brendan Rodgers wants you to be his striker, you have to go for it straight away’.
As for his future, he’s got plenty of time to think about that, but he made it clear he doesn’t have dreams, he has objectives, and they include aiming for the France national team, playing in a very big European club, and winning the Champions League.
That’s quite the checklist, if you ask us.
