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Edouard “the best since Larsson” tipped to be “huge success” at “top six” Premier League side

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Former Celtic striker and Sky Sports pundit, Andy Walker, has revealed that Martin O’Neill believes that Odsonne Edouard is the club’s best striker since Henrik Larsson was in his pomp in a green and white hooped shirt.

Writing in his Sky Sports column and reported by The Daily Record, Walker reveals just how far he thinks the Frenchman could go, if transfer speculation turns into reality.

So what has Walker said?

Walker was speaking to the former Celtic boss as part of Sky Sports coverage of the champions 5-1 demolition of Hamilton at the weekend, and he said of the attention that Edouard is currently getting:

“I enjoyed a chat with Martin O’Neill on Sunday before he went on air as part of Sky’s coverage, and he was in no doubt that Edouard is the finest striker to wear the Hoops since Henrik Larsson.

“That’s a massive compliment. John Hartson scored more than a century of goals for the club. O’Neill also signed Chris Sutton, he too was a huge success, as were the strikers that followed them; Georgios Samaras, Gary Hooper, Kris Commons, Scott McDonald and Leigh Griffiths.

“There’s a style and panache about Edouard that sets him apart from the rest. Absolutely, he could play in the Premier League or anywhere else in Europe for that matter. I think he’d be a huge success at one of the top-six clubs in England.”

So is Walker correct?

Absolutely, he may have had to play second fiddle to both Leigh Griffiths and Moussa Dembele when he first arrived but there is no doubting now that his all round game has surpassed those of his previous mentors.

He showed last season playing as a lone striker and with a partner that he can operate either as a focal point or as a link player and his technical ability has developed every season he has been at the club to the extent that he is now being valued at between £40-60million.

Is Edouard really worth £60m?

Yes

No

No

The Scottish Premiership may not be the of the same standard as the Bundesliga or Serie A but this doesn’t detract from the fact that players such as Kieran Tierney, Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson have all gone on to show that the league shouldn’t be used as a gauge to assess individual players and Edouard is no different.

Walker, on this occasion, is right, there is no reason why the 22-year old couldn’t be a star for the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United or Tottenham Hotspur, all clubs that have been linked with him in the past, it speaks volumes that the manager who made his Celtic transfer permanent – Brendan Rodgers – is the one said to be keenest to take him to the riches of English football.

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