Outspoken Charlie Nicholas admits he was too quick to write Aaron Mooy off and has been blown away by the Celtic midfielder's brilliant form.
The 61-year-old was his usual searing self when he talked down the Australia international's arrival in the summer but concedes the all-action man is making him eat his words. And Nicholas now reckons the capture of the free agent was the latest piece of inspired transfer work from manager Ange Postecoglou.
And Nicholas reckons Mooy's thrilling exploits at the World Cup was the launchpad needed to come back to Scottish football and give Celtic a spark in the second half of the season. Speaking in his Express column, he said: "I have to hold my hands up and admit Aaron Mooy has silenced me and the rest of his critics by becoming a massive player for Celtic. When he arrived last July, I was wondering what Ange Postecoglou had done. I knew the pair had worked together previously with the Australian national team but Mooy looked a yard off the pace in his first few weeks for the Hoops.
"He seemed to slow the play down and I didn't see how he was going to fit into Postecoglou's team, which loves to play with speed and moves the ball about constantly. At that point I wasn't talking about the 32-year-old midfielder's fitness, more his game management. I know Mooy hadn't played for several months before he pitched up at Parkhead, but in a lot of his early games I just couldn't see what he was going to bring.
"He did get fitter and sharper but the real catalyst was the World Cup, where he performed really well for Australia. Mooy has looked a completely different player since coming back from Qatar. He is completely transformed. He's been the best player in the country since the restart and has scored five times in the last seven games.
"He is now a vital cog in Celtic's attacking play, a major goal threat and has forged a great partnership with captain Callum McGregor. That is testament to Mooy himself and Postecoglou for putting his trust in him.There is now real competition in the engine room, with Reo Hatate also in there.
"Matt O'Riley is a top player and until recently he was one of the first names on the teamsheet. But even he is no longer guaranteed to start in this Celtic side."
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