What Brendan Rodgers is Telling Luis Palma to do More of

Somewhat of a divisive figure among the Celtic support, Luis Palma is gearing up for his second season with the Hoops.

His performances were frustrating at times last term, but one cannot argue with some of the Honduran’s numbers – 10 goals and as many assists in 36 appearances across all comPetitions in 2023/24 is a respectable return.

In the upcoming campaign, Palma needs more consistency. The 24-year-old recently acknowledged his criticism, openly admitting that he hopes to do more in a green and white jersey.

Time will eventually tell, but Palma needs to go beyond just racking up numbers. Some supporters will argue he needs to show more in his performances, but manager Brendan Rodgers has revealed what he and his coaches have told the attacker.

“We’ve asked him to run more without the ball and he’s started to do that over time with us”, he said (Football Scotland).

“He can either dictate with penetration or by making the last pass. He had a few fantastic moments tonight (Saturday).

“He brings great quality and he loves his Football, you can see he is playing with joy.

“Getting him to be more pressing towards the ball will elevate the technical side of his Game. Hopefully, we can continue to progress him after a good first season.”

There is sizeable comPetition in the wide areas for Palma to contend with. Albeit he got a few runs in the team last season, it is clear that Daizen Maeda is the first-choice left-winger.

Despite this, Celtic’s packed schedule means Palma will get opportunities, but he must make the most of them.