Scott McDonald has told Celtic fans NOT to hail new boy Marco Tilio as a replacement for Jota.
Instead, he reckons his fellow Aussie will remind them of former Hoops hero Patrick Roberts. McDonald was stunned to hear of Jota’s imminent £25million switch to Saudi side Al-Ittihad. But at the same time, former Celtic striker McDonald is delighted Tilio has been snapped up by gaffer Brendan Rodgers on a five-year deal.
McDonald is a huge fan of the 21-year-old after watching his development at A-League outfit Melbourne City. And he’s convinced that, given time, Tilio will become a fans’ favourite in Glasgow’s east end. A straight replacement for Jota? No. McDonald believes the Socceroos star is far more like Roberts in his build and style of play. Sunderland winger Roberts had a two-year loan spell at Parkhead under Ronny Deila and Rodgers from 2016 – and became hugely popular with supporters. Now McDonald thinks Tilio can have a similar sort of impact.
He told MailSport: “It would be unfair to compare Marco to Jota because he’s a different type of player. He doesn’t have the electrifying pace that Jota has.
“He’s got dynamism – but in a different way. It’s more in those short, sharp bursts. He’s similar to Patrick in height and stature, maybe a bit more stocky. He’s small and has the frame of someone like Roberts.
“Marco has that same ability to take people on one-v-one and will be suited to the way Brendan likes to play his football. He can go right or left, he’s very ambidextrous – he uses both of his feet so well.
“He’s a very talented boy and Celtic signing him on a five-year deal tells you they think he’s only going to get better over time. Marco has been excellent this season in Australia. In his three years at Melbourne City he has progressed each time. Throughout that, as a young player, he had a little bit of a downturn.
“But this season, he’s been one of their main men, if not THE man for City. It’s a massive move for him – and joining the Scottish champions is big news over here.
“It’s great for Australian football because Marco has just made his breakthrough with the national team. Hopefully he can continue to improve at Celtic and Brendan can be the catalyst for making him a success. Marco has to invest in Celtic now. He has to go across with the belief that he can get into that team straight away.
“Is he good enough to do that? I think he is, as long as he’s got the mentality to do so. It’s a different style of football and there’s more physicality in Scotland so he’ll have to take knocks along the way. He’s certainly going to be one to watch as he progresses at Celtic.”
As an attacking player, McDonald feels Tilio has all the attributes to thrive in a side managed by Rodgers. Rather than play one wing or the other like Jota, he expects the Australian to be more flexible –maybe even playing centrally behind Celtic’s strikers. Tilio will arrive in Glasgow with huge expectations on his shoulders – just like Daniel Arzani when he was signed on loan fro Manchester City in 2018.
Arzani had injury problems and is now back playing in Australia, with McDonald hoping Tilio doesn’t follow a similar path. He said: “Arzani arrived in the building and quickly left again. It’s important Marco gets his head down and works hard because he comes with a similar reputation to Daniel.
“He’s going there with the same excitement around him as the Australian people had for Daniel. We’ve got that for Marco and it has been great to see how he’s matured in the last two years.
“He’s added goals to his game, which has been the biggest plus. When you sign for Celtic as an attacking player, you have to score. He’s got that in his locker. So he’s probably now in the best place possible to develop.
“Moving to Celtic is a massive step up from the A-League, there’s no question about that. And Marco has not played a lot of international football either. So as much as I’m really excited about him, realistically he might have to be patient.
“And the fans might need to be patient with him as well. I hope they allow him to maybe be a little bit of a surprise package alongside the other signings that Brendan will bring in.
“I can see Marco playing more centrally at Celtic. He’s played in a No.10 role at Melbourne and does it really well. He loves to carry the ball. He’s very quick over the first five yards and difficult to handle. He can go either side and shoots with both feet.
“He can play on either wing if he’s asked to. But he’s very adaptable and that will have been a key component in Celtic looking at him, then signing him. He can play in different positions, which Brendan will like going forward.”
Like every Celtic fan, McDonald is disappointed that Jota looks certain to leave for the Middle East in a big-money transfer. The Portuguese winger was a revelation for previous boss Ange Postecoglou as the Hoops completed a Treble last season.
And if Jota does go, McDonald wants to see Rodgers giving fellow wide man Liel Abada a new long-term deal at the club. He said: “I’m surprised, in terms of Jota having a real interest in going to Saudi Arabia. But we all know that money talks.
“In terms of what he could earn over there, compared to what he’s on now, it makes it difficult to turn down. The excitement for players going there is to play alongside superstars. The money for the club as well is crucial.
“With the Benfica sell-on fee, are Celtic really going to get that kind of money again in the European market? As much as they won’t want to see him go, it might be too good to refuse.
“If he does go I think it’s a must that they invest in Abada by keeping him at the club for longer. Obviously, Brendan will need to replace Jota because coaches want fresh faces, to take on the manager’s identity. He will certainly want to add more quality in certain areas.”
