Ange Postecoglou was wary of Sunderland winger Patrick Roberts’ mentality, according to The Athletic’s report.
Celtic have signed no fewer than 14 first-team players during Postecoglou’s first season in charge.
As a testament to the club’s notable new recruits, all but two of the players – James McCarthy and Yosuke Ideguchi – can be regarded as a success.
In Sunday’s 2-1 Old Firm derby win over Rangers, only three of the 11 players who started the match were present at the club when Neil Lennon was put out of his misery some 14 months prior.
Patrick Roberts’ stuttering career may have been revived if he had returned to Parkhead, but it’s impossible to say for sure.
Last summer, Postecoglou spoke with the former Hoops hero about a possible return to his old stomping grounds, according to The Athletic.
Postecoglou reportedly walked away from the offer because he was “not convinced” that the player had the “single-mindedness” he seeks, according to the report.
Even the most ardent Roberts fan would find it difficult to argue that Celtic made the wrong decision in signing the mesmerizing Filipe Jota instead – arguably the best of the club’s 14 new faces.
Because Roberts, now 25, hasn’t even come close to reliving the sensational loan spell he put in on the green half of Glasgow in 2016/17.
In the last five years, he’s only managed to score three goals. Brendan Rodgers’ comparison of him to a young David Silva seems like a long time ago.
Having left Troyes, Roberts signed a six-month deal with League Two Sunderland in January.
