Yesterday, Another Player Emerged From The Shadows At Celtic … And It Was Great.

Talk about an unlikely hero.

In years to come, when people ask who scored the first goal of this season – and lo and behold it was from a corner at that – they might well struggle to guess. They might name one of the front men or go for a Hatate or an O’Riley; we know they’ll put enough away over the course of the campaign.

But how many are going to say Stephen Welsh?

Stephen Welsh, as Ralston was last season, is in one Hell of a position. Had Starfelt been fit he wouldn’t have played. Had Lenz had a little more behind him in terms of fitness, and even a couple of games, Welsh would not have played.

He knows it too. He knows the pressure he’s under, and all the eyes that are on him. Some folk will say he’s playing for relevance as much as anything. What he showed yesterday with his performance – not just the goal but the display itself – was that he is up for the fight.

That is great news for this club. We need every guy like that we can get.

Last season, Ralston had to cope with those pressures and it has been the making of him. Yesterday there was another performance of excellent, and it came from Greg Taylor. It’s no coincidence that he’s under pressure too with a new left back in the building.

Ange is right; this is not just about having good footballers but about having the right personalities at Celtic Park, and more and more we’re seeing that we’ve got exactly that.

These are guys who thrive under pressure; in fact, they look better footballers when they have others breathing down their necks. This is one of the benefits of this big squad … it pushes everyone in it, and Ange has known it from the start.

Welsh was immense yesterday and he’s been excellent in pre-season. This is what we mean when we talk about footballers seizing the opportunities they are given. He was given a big, big chance yesterday and he grabbed it with both hands.

It was tremendous from him, and suggests that there is more to come.