Sport

Odsonne Edouard on target in Celtic debut

Celtic's Odsonne Edouard celebrates after scoring the fourth goal during the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership match at the SuperSeal Stadium, Hamilton
Celtic's Odsonne Edouard celebrates after scoring the fourth goal during the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership match at the SuperSeal Stadium, Hamilton Celtic's Odsonne Edouard celebrates after scoring the fourth goal during the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership match at the SuperSeal Stadium, Hamilton

Ladbrokes Premiership: Hamilton 1 Celtic 4

FRENCH teenager Odsonne Edouard was given a round of applause by his new Celtic team-mates after his scoring debut in the 4-1 Ladbrokes Premiership win at Hamilton, boss Brendan Rodgers revealed.

With strikers Leigh Griffiths and Moussa Dembele out injured the 19-year-old forward, who is on a season-long loan from Paris St Germain, was thrown straight in at the SuperSeal stadium and helped the Hoops to leapfrog Aberdeen by one point at the top of the table.

Returning midfielder Stuart Armstrong opened the scoring in the 17th minute before attacker Scott Sinclair fired two in before the interval.

Edouard added a fourth following a neat one-two with Patrick Roberts, back in a Celtic shirt in his second loan spell from Manchester City, to accentuate the gulf between the two teams although Accies substitute Alex Gogic, on for Dougie Imrie, headed in a consolation.

Rodgers said: "The kid has left Paris, it has been training in Glasgow all week.

"He trained in floodlights on Tuesday at 11 o'clock (in the morning), I looked at him sometimes, he probably wondered what he let himself in for.

"But his running ability, speed, power and profile suits how we play and he is very hungry and his view of the game was exceptional tonight.

"He wants to run behind which is important in my team and he wants to score goals.

"The biggest compliment he gets tonight is he got a massive round of applause at the end from all the players and staff in the changing room afterwards because it is was a great start to his Celtic career."

Rodgers was delighted with the way his side performed before the Champions League opener against PSG at Parkhead on Tuesday night.

He said: "I thought we were outstanding. I thought we were a joy to watch, in particular in the first half.

"We defended very well and there was only one moment, the corner, and I said to the players make sure you keep your habits to the very end and at 4-0 we just switched off a little bit.

"But the whole story of the game was brilliant. It was a really good performance on the back of a lot of boys playing international football. The Scottish boys were playing their third game in seven days so I am very happy and satisfied."

Hamilton boss Martin Canning claimed Celtic were as good as he has encountered.

"It was disappointing. I thought Celtic were excellent in the first half, as good as I have seen them, their movement, one touch, two touch, was difficult to deal with," he said.

"The second half we changed it and it maybe wasn't pretty but sometimes you have to look at Celtic and see the qualities they have got and try to stop that as opposed to having a wee go as we did at the start.

"I was really pleased with the second half but in the first half Celtic were excellent.

"It is not just the movement, it is the guy on the ball who sees the movement, it is another level again."