Bold claim: Celtic’s winter signing could become a genuinely frightening force as it makes an immediate impact.
The former Arsenal and Liverpool midfielder has wasted no time in showing his value to Celtic. After the January window closed, manager Martin O’Neill moved to free agency and recruited Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on a deal through the season, with a possible one-year extension. For now, the focus is squarely on pursuing the Premiership title.
Oxlade-Chamberlain came off the bench to net a stoppage-time winner against Livingston on Wednesday, drawing widespread praise on Sportscene. Steven Thompson, a former Rangers and St Mirren striker, suggested that a fully fit Oxlade-Chamberlain could cause serious problems for Celtic’s rivals in Scotland.
How will Oxlade-Chamberlain fare at Celtic?
Thompson noted: “We’re talking about a player who has competed at football’s highest level. He showed, in his late cameo, how valuable he could be to Celtic in the title run-in. He hasn’t played much recently, but with his quality, when he gets up to speed he could become a frightening prospect for them.”
Former Celtic midfielder Scott Allan, appearing as a pundit, also praised Sebastian Tounekti’s flair on the ball, pointing to the recent Scottish Cup win over Dundee and the deft touch that allows him to curl the ball into the corner. He added that, despite the chatter around Celtic’s signings, a moment of brilliance can turn a game, as Tounekti did on his home debut when Celtic needed a lift against Livingston.
On his Celtic debut, Oxlade-Chamberlain shared his perspective: “A couple of weeks ago I wasn’t sure where my future lay in football. I kept my head down, trained hard, and believed something else would come up. Now I’m determined to repay the club’s faith in me.” He continued: “This has been the best part of my season so far. The atmosphere after the goal was special. Our job now is to be more clinical, finish games off earlier when possible, and play the football our fans want to see while winning games with authority.” He also recalled a conversation with Joe Hart from about a month earlier, where Hart described his own love for the club and the stadium’s energy when things are going well, and Oxlade-Chamberlain echoed that sentiment, sensing a real glimpse of what the club can achieve when things click.
