Scott Brown hails 'great transfer window' for Celtic and backs Shane Duffy and David Turnbull to shine

Scott Brown believes Celtic have struck gold in the current transfer window and has tipped recent recruits Shane Duffy and David Turnbull to make an instant impact for the Scottish champions.

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - SEPTEMBER 08: New Celtic signing Shane Duffy is unveiled at Celtic Park, on September 08, 2020, in Glasgow, Scotland (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

Republic of Ireland central defender Duffy, signed on a season-long loan from Brighton this week, and Scotland under-21 midfielder Turnbull, who completed a £3.25 million move from Motherwell before the international break, are both in line to make their debuts in Saturday’s Premiership fixture against Ross County in Dingwall.

With Celtic having earlier captured Greek goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas and Swiss striker Albian Ajeti, along with the return on another loan deal of Norwegian winger Mohamed Elyounoussi, captain Brown is excited by the business conducted by his club since the summer.

“It’s been a great transfer window for us,” said Brown. “We have signed five now and they have all come in and strengthened the squad. They just need some game time to get themselves going. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone fully fit.

“It will be a great squad with great competition. That’s what the manager wants. He wants competition from the lads, whether it’s a goalie, a striker, a central midfielder, a centre half. He wants everyone to have competition. So the standard of training is tip top as well.

“Shane Duffy is a great lad. He spoke really well the last couple of days to all the lads. He’s a big strong lad who has played in the English Premier League and for the Republic of Ireland. It’s great for us because it’s another leader at the back. He’s strong, he’s aggressive in the air. The manager felt we needed to bring in another centre half and that’s what he’s done. We’ve found a fantastic centre half.

“He wants to be here, he loves Celtic. It’s always been his dream to play for Celtic. It’s amazing to have that opportunity. He has played in the English Premier League and wants to come to us, which shows you what a big club Celtic is. For him to be a boyhood fan and play for the club he loves, it must mean a lot to him. For him to come along here and play for the lads, it means a lot to us too.

“David Turnbull has also been great since coming in. He’s not trained too much yet but I’ve seen some great glimpses, he works hard and is an honest boy.

“As a Scottish lad coming to Celtic, he knows what it’s all about. Having been on the other side as well, he knows what it means to everyone else to try to beat Celtic.

“I like that he always looks forward on the pitch, he’s got great touch and awareness. I’m looking forward to playing alongside him.

“He’s a great lad who is willing to learn and he has that ability to change a game. At Motherwell, he scored and created a lot of chances so here’s hoping he can do even more with us.

“He’s a very strong person, as he showed in his reaction to the injury that saw his move to us last year called off. You’re going to need that mentality here. You need to take the stick as well as the pats on the back, but you need to believe in your own ability.

“It’s a great story. He almost signed, goes away and gets two operations and comes back in great shape and gets the move to us. It’s a dream come true for him.”

As Celtic resume their defence of the Premiership title this weekend, the first message Brown will try to get across to his new team-mates is the change in emphasis in the pursuit of victory which they won’t have experienced at their previous clubs.

“I remember we drew 1-1 at Kilmarnock in my first game for Celtic and I was told right away by Gordon Strachan that you have to win every week here,” he said.

“A point is not good enough. You would accept that at Hibs but not here, as the fans expect us to win every single game, week in, week out.

“There’s always going to be bumps along the way but it’s about how you bounce back. We’ve been unbelievable at it over the years.

“We have maybe been poor in a game but then won 10 or 11 on the trot. We need to make sure we get back to doing that but from what I’ve seen, someone like David Turnbull has that winning mentality. We’re looking forward to seeing him play for us.”

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