Celtic round-up: Shved hits back, ‘Pass master’ Bain, Valencia’s key threat

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Shved hits back

Celtic new boy Maryan Shved has hit back at critics who have questioned whether he will be able cope the physicality of Scottish football.

The Ukrainian winger completed his £1.75 million move to Parkead in January but was immediately loaned back to Karpaty Lviv for the rest of the current season.

Standing at just 5ft 7in tall, some have attempted to write Shved off before he’s even arrived, and the winger has now spoken out.

He said as quoted by The Daily Record: “There’s many stereotypes about Scottish football, but not all of them are true. Ukrainian football is also tough. And to be honest, do you think Celtic would really have wanted to sign me if they thought I could not handle the physical side of the game in Scotland? I don’t think so.”

‘Pass master’ Bain

Scott Bain is currently ahead of Craig Gordon in the goalkeeping pecking order at Parkhead, and an impressive stat has come to light that supports Brendan Rodgers’ preference for the 27-year-old.

According to The Scotsman, Bain has mightily impressive pass completion rate of 96.23% from 159 passes, making him the most accurate passer in the league.

Gordon has played for the majority of the season and unsurprisingly has a lower percentage at 85.9% from 410 passes, but it’s still a fair bit lower than Bain’s, which is arguably more a testament to his fantastic ability with the ball at his feet.

Valencia’s ‘key threat’

Celtic must nullify the attacking threat posed by Valencia’s Dani Parejo during tonight’s Europe League round of 32, according to Charlie Nicholas.

The club’s former striker believes the Spanish maestro is the man the Bhoys need to shackle to give themselves the best chance of winning.

He told Sky Sports: “Celtic have to keep their heads and be patient for the right moments. If they can stop Parejo and be aggressive, then I can see something happening.”