Tony Ralston once showed Neymar who’s the daddy – but becoming a father turned him from Bhoy to a man
TONY RALSTON once tried to show Neymar who’s the daddy.
But Brendan Rodgers reckons it was becoming a father that turned him from a Bhoy into a man.
The academy graduate burst on to the scene with a fiery performance against PSG in 2017, even laughing in Neymar’s face at one point.
He man-marked the £198million man so rigidly that Brazilian stopper Thiago Silva had to step between them at the final whistle as Neymar refused to shake his hand.
Six years on from that 5-0 defeat, Rodgers is thrilled to see Ralston has matured into a first-team regular, and puts it down to him having a child.
He said: “I’m really pleased for Tony. When you go back to when I was first here, I put him in for a reason.
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“I thought he was a really good talent and a very good player. So much so, I put him in against PSG in 2017.
“As time went on, maybe some things changed for him a little bit with injuries or whatever else. He didn’t play as much.
“But under Ange Postecoglou he had a great spell.
“Sometimes there are moments in your life that change your perspective.
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“There’s no doubt for me, for the likes of Tony, when you become a father, it makes you reassess everything.
“It’s not just about you, it’s about doing it for your family. It gives you a purpose in life.
“I know from speaking to him, that was a real life-changing moment for Tony.
“He’s always been a really good player. As a young guy I was impressed with his attitude and energy.”
Ralston, 24, has had a grit and determination to have a career at the top of the game that deserves respect.
He looked destined to be moved on after loan deals with St Johnstone and Dundee United.
But instead he refused to throw in the towel at Celts and earned a new contract.
Up against first Josip Juranovic, then Alistair Johnston, for a place in Ange Postecoglou’s team, the Scotland international still made 55 appearances.
Now first-choice right-back Johnston is facing up to eight weeks on the sidelines after summer ankle surgery, which opens the door for Ralston once again.
Rodgers added: “It’s been great for Tony to be able to show that to the fans, because he’s a Celtic man who wants to do well for the club.
“I’m really pleased he did well and got his new contract. He’s another player who will be really important for us in my time here.
“He worked hard and became an international player. I love his attitude. He fights every single day and he’ll be a big part of my squad.”
Rodgers has a work ethic and mentality every Celtic player must buy into. Or else.
On day one he stood before his squad and told them their success under Postecoglou was firmly in the past.
That what happened from now on was what mattered more than anything.
Rodgers’ drive comes from wanting to be the best version of himself he can possibly be. And he wants the same for his players.
Guys like Reo Hatate, Matt O’Riley and Johnston had great seasons under Postecoglou. But their new gaffer will look to make them even better.
Rodgers said: “That was one of the big attractions of coming here when I assessed the squad.
“A lot of these guys are in their early 20s and still have a lot of development and improvement to come.
“Watching from afar in these last few years, you see the level they are at, and they still have so much more to offer.
“That’s what my strength is — maximising what I can get out of the players individually and hopefully that translates into success for the team.” Rodgers knows how to make players better.
Kieran Tierney wouldn’t have earned his big money move to Arsenal in the Premier League without him.
Others too have come and gone from the Hoops, going onto bigger and better contracts elsewhere, because of the Celtic boss.
There’s no magic wand for that, but Rodgers has high hopes he can conjure up more superstars from this crop.
Speaking ahead of the clash with Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan, the boss said: “That’s the hope.
“When you come into a club, your first job is to convince the players to work how you want to work.
“I always try to be clear with players, my ambition is for them to be the best they can be, but for them to understand they can’t do it on their own.
“They have to come into the team and show they can flourish. Hopefully I’ve been able to demonstrate that over my career with the individuals I’ve improved.
“But it’s all about the team. They will get the rewards.
“I see a hungry group of players, coming off the back of a successful season. I also know the pitfalls, which we’ll spell out over pre-season.
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“My general thoughts after the first few weeks is that this is a fantastic group with a brilliant mentality.
“Now we want to improve that as well as help individual players get better.”
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