Inverness CT boss John Hughes tips Celtic's Ryan Christie for Scotland call
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JOHN Hughes believes the way Ryan Christie trains can take him into the Scotland squad via the Celtic first-team.
The Caley Jags manager helped develop the Inverness lad (20), son of ICT legend Charlie, before his £500,000 move to champions Celtic.
The Scotland under-21 ace completed his move to the Hoops in September but came back on loan to the Highlanders until the New Year.
A knee injury kept him sidelined and he’s made three appearances from the bench in recent weeks, including in the 3-0 win over his old club at the weekend.
Hughes is such a fan of Christie that he admits he’d pay to watch him train and insists that it’s the player’s approach every day that can take him to the top.
He told the HN: "I was thrilled to see Ryan come on for Celtic on Saturday. I take great pride in seeing him wear the Hoops. He’s a wonderful footballer.
"I know he’s worked really hard to come back from injury as I’ve been keeping tabs on him. Celtic are very impressed with him and I am delighted about that because there’s a lot of quality players there.
"The way Ryan trains, along with his attitude and commitment, suggests that it won’t be too long before he’s a Celtic starter. It’s all about what he does on the training pitch and that’s what I tell my players as well. I see out there what guys can and cannot do. You always have the game in mind and what certain players can give you and how they fit in.
"Ryan is a fantastic trainer. I read (Celtic manager) Ronny Deila’s comments about if you are training properly then you will be in or very close to his starting 11 - well if that’s the case then Ryan is well on his way. You would actually pay money to watch him train. He does it with a smile on his face. It’s great to see what we have done with Ryan at Inverness helped him."
He added: "That was just his second appearance for Celtic at Parkhead and it brought a smile to my face. Hopefully, after starting for Celtic it won’t be long before he’s in the full Scotland squad. You must have high aspirations and he will have at Celtic."
