One to watch: Celtic’s 19-year-old winger Daniel Arzani

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Not many people saw Daniel Arzani menacing down the flanks of many an A-League pitch in the last 12 months.

Millions of people did, however, see the raw talent that the Australian possesses after three impressive cameos off the bench at this year’s World Cup – a tournament at which he was the youngest player.

And now he will head to Celtic on loan, playing in a league that will provide a sterner physical test while still allowing him to develop in the comfortable surroundings of a strong, attacking team.

Play Style

An attribute that will be of vital importance in the fledgling stages of the 19-year-old’s career at Celtic is his ability to play on both wings.

At Melbourne City, he constantly changed flanks from game to game – and even during games.

On the right flank, he likes to use his speed to stretch the pitch and make runs to the by-line.

On the left, he enjoys using his incisive dribbling to move inside and head towards the penalty box.

He will be hoping to improve on his production though.

While impressive in the league, his record of two goals and one assist in 1,195 minutes is not particularly stellar.

In saying that, he has shown more than a few glimpses of the underlying raw talent needed to succeed at a higher level.

Season Ahead

Socceroos coach Graham Arnold glowingly endorsed the move, telling reporters this week, “It’s a big move for the kid. He’s a very intelligent kid. He knows what his plan is”.

With the international retirement of Tim Cahill, many in Arzani’s native Australia are looking towards the 19-year-old to be the face of the next generation.

Weirdly, he will try to grow into that role out of the national spotlight in the confines of Glasgow, Celtic Park and the Champions League.