Celtic boss Neil Lennon comments on recently linked-away Olivier Ntcham

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Celtic manager Neil Lennon wants to keep Olivier Ntcham at Parkhead.

The midfielder recently angered supporters by knocking the quality of Scottish football and expressing his regret over a failed move to FC Porto.

Lennon was unhappy with Ntcham’s comments and the pair have reportedly had showdown talks.

Since he said what he said though, Ntcham has been handed five appearances by Lennon, and produced a superb display for the Hoops against Motherwell at the weekend.

It is clear in Lennon’s mind that he wants Ntcham to stay at the club.

He said (quoted by The Scottish Sun): “Absolutely. I want him here, I don’t want him to go.”

Obviously anything could still happen, but Lennon clearly rates Ntcham very highly. He added: “He’s a beautifully balanced footballer, he’s training really well, he seems happy and settled. We just want more of the same because we’ve got a helluva player there.

“He’s got real flair about him and ability. You saw that as the game wore on last Saturday. At times he’s too good a player to leave out and he just needs to be consistent now.”

TBR’s view

Perhaps this is an attempt at massaging the player’s ego before the closure of the transfer window.

Former Manchester City youngster Ntcham is a top player on his day and could be a key player in Celtic’s bid for nine in a row.

Against Motherwell he demonstrated just how good he can be.

With Rangers looking like they might pose a greater challenge for the title in 2019/20, a focused Ntcham in Celtic’s ranks would be huge for the Hoops.