Lennon to promote Afolabi into first-team squad – Is he ready?

Celtic manager Neil Lennon has decided to promote summer signing Jonathan Afolabi into the first-team squad, according to a report on the Scotsman.

The former Southampton youngster has impressed Lennon in recent training sessions and the manager is excited about his potential.

The Hoops already have some good options up front, with Odsonne Edouard and Leigh Griffiths currently being preferred by Lennon, but the boss feels that Afolabi can add something different to the attack.

The 19-year-old signed a three-year deal with the Scottish champions and will be hoping to make some first-team appearances soon.

Is he ready to make the step up?

READ CELTIC VERDICT

Maybe. Afolabi is a player with plenty of potential and has always been very highly-rated since his days in the Southampton Academy.

Although he spent a decade with the Premier League club, he failed to make a single senior appearance but Celtic boss Lennon seems to be keen to get him involved.

There’s a lot of competition in attacking areas but giving him a chance in the first team is likely to do more good than harm for the player, because it will show him and everyone else if he’s capable to lead the line for a top European club.

The more he trains and travels with the first-team squad, the more he will get used to being a senior member and this will help him to settle in quickly into his new surroundings.