Edouard: Brendan Rodgers was a big factor in my Celtic moveODSONNE Edouard says Brendan Rodgers’ tremendous track-record in nurturing young talent was a key factor behind his transfer deadline-day move from Paris Saint-Germain. The highly-rated the striker joined Celtic last night from the French outfit - who will also face the Hoops in the UEFA Champions League, on a season-long loan deal - with the club also obtaining an option to buy the player. A product of PSG’s academy, the 19-year-old enjoyed a prolific record in front of goal at various youth levels for the Ligue 1 club. And he earned a reputation as one of the hottest prospects on the continent when he was named as the Golden Player at the UEFA European U17 Championship, having found the net eight times to fire France to glory at the tournament.
Speaking to the media today, the new Bhoy said: “I have known of Brendan for a while through his positions in the Premier League with Liverpool and Swansea so I knew of him. As soon as I discovered he was interested in me as a player and then I spoke to him, I had no hesitation whatsoever in signing for the club. So he was influential.
“I spoke to him and he said he really liked my profile as a player. I know that he really likes working with young players to develop them and that was key in me signing for Celtic, and when you look at the team there are a lot of young players in the team, so this is proof that he does this and does it well.”
“First of all, I am really happy to be here at Celtic,” continued the young forward. “I am really excited and I am looking forward to starting. In terms of objectives, my main goal is to win the league with Celtic.
“First and foremost, I am really looking forward to playing in the Champions League, which is a big thing for me. Playing against PSG, my parent club, will be something special for me.
“The atmosphere here is renowned. All the big players who have played here, whether they are young or old, they always talk about playing at Celtic Park and how it’s something special.
“In terms of the history, I know Celtic have won the equivalent of the Champions League in 1967 and have won six league titles in recent years. I am really looking forward to adding to this and being part of a club who can hopefully win the league again this year.”
Edouard – Celtic’s fifth signing of the summer - will join compatriots Olivier Ntcham and Moussa Dembele at the Scottish treble-winners and he believes they will help him settle into his new surroundings.
“I think it’s going to help a great deal,” he said. “As you know Moussa and Olivier are among the best players in France of this generation, so I can only benefit with playing with them.
“I haven’t really had time to them to talk to them before coming but this morning I had a message from Olivier welcoming me to the club.
“On a personal level, I don’t know them that well. Obviously I know them as they are well-known young French players. I know Moussa through PSG as he went through the same route as I did and I know Olivier as he is a typical example of a young French player making it abroad.
“Both are very good examples to all the people in the PSG Academy of young players who are, so far, doing very well in their career so they are seen as examples of young players in France.”
Naturally, Edouard is determined to stake a claim for a regular starting slot in Brendan Rodgers’ side – but he knows that plenty of hard work lies ahead as he adjusts to life in Paradise.
“A football player is a competitor so my objective is to play every game but I know I have to learn and develop first and I will have to work very hard," he said. "But obviously as a competitor, I want to play and this is the driving force.”
"I have just arrived and for me the most important thing for me is to start training as soon as possible and then we will see what happens.”