Brendan Rodgers highlighted Anthony Ralston’s role at Celtic towards the end of last season, noting the Scotland international’s progression as he enters his eighth year with the senior team. Despite previously seeming likely to leave the club, the Lennoxtown graduate has now made over 100 appearances for the Bhoys, contributing eight goals and 16 assists.
In May, Rodgers spoke about Ralston’s future at Celtic, predicting that the 25-year-old would play a more significant role in the 2024/25 season under his guidance.
Rodgers stated: “He will feature more for me next season. Part of this season was that Ali (Johnston) was the first choice. Tony came in and played some games. Ali had been out for a while, so when he returned from injury, I needed to give him game time to get him up to speed. That meant Tony hadn’t played as much.
“But with Tony, there’s something important. One, I know he’s always ready. Even if he’s not playing in games, his training is his game. He trains every day with a standard, quality, and mentality that reflect match conditions.”
With the international break approaching, Rodgers’ remarks on Ralston’s future at Celtic could soon become even more relevant, hinting at a potential increase in playing time for the defender.
Anthony Ralston’s chances of Celtic involvement
As the international break approaches, Celtic’s Alistair Johnston has been left out of Canada’s squad for their Nations League matches against Panama and Mexico. Jesse Marsch explained that Johnston is “rehabbing” a back injury, which will likely rule him out of Celtic’s trip to Ross County this Sunday.
In Johnston’s absence, Anthony Ralston is expected to step in for his seventh appearance of the season. Crucially, this would mark Ralston’s first Scottish Premiership start of the campaign, with his only other start coming in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final against Falkirk.
This raises the question of whether Ralston could play a larger role as Celtic face an intense fixture schedule, which will test the squad’s depth across multiple competitions. Celtic’s upcoming fixtures may indeed favor Ralston, as Brendan Rodgers has emphasized the importance of rotating players to handle the physical demands of his high-energy tactics.
Rodgers commented, “There’s a big cost to how we play, a cost in energy, and when that starts to drop a little, the ability to make changes to sustain that is very important.” With midweek games beginning to stack up, Ralston is likely to see more minutes, and Rodgers’ earlier pledge about his involvement could take on greater significance in the coming weeks as Celtic look to maintain their strong domestic form.
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