CELTIC hero Peter Grant has told shock free transfer signing Kelechi Iheancho he’ll have just 10 MINUTES to prove himself in the Hoops.
Grant – who starred for the Parkhead side in the 80s and 90s – was stunned by his old club’s post-transfer deadline swoop for Iheanacho soon after his contract had been paid up by Sevilla.
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That allowed desperate Celts chiefs to make their move for the 28-year-old, who won the FA Cup as part of Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester City side, and the League Cup while at Manchester City.
Iheanacho’s agreed a one-year deal with a further 12-month option and comes to Glasgow with a recent playing and goal-scoring record that isn’t exactly impressing Hoops fans who are furious there wasn’t major cash spent on a badly-needed new striker.
Kyogo Furuhashi wasn’t replaced after he left for Rennes last January in a £10million deal, while Adam Idah completed a £6m switch to Swansea City just a few hours before the window slammed shut on Monday night.
Under-fire Celtic chief executive Michael Nicholson and head of football operations Paul Tidsdale were left scrambling around the free transfer market, with interest also shown in former Leeds United hitman Patrick Bamford.
But it would be Nigeria international Iheanacho who was finally secured, a move first revealed by SunSport Online.
And pundit Grant told Go Radio: “The only question mark we have just now is because we haven’t seen him play recently.
“At 28, his peak years should be there, but we don’t know where he is because we haven’t seen him play.
“He will get judged in 10 minutes – and that is the way football is in Glasgow.
“If he is fit, there is absolutely no doubt he is a talented boy.
“But the boy won’t get time to break himself in.”
Iheanacho has been included in Celtic’s 24-man squad for the Europa League.
His first chance to pull on the Hoops will come against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park in the Premiership on September 14.
Iheanacho has been speaking for the first time since his move.
He told Celtic TV: “I’m really happy to be working with Brendan again.
“He’s a great man and a great coach with a good personality, and I’m happy to be playing under him again.
“The gaffer knows me and he knows what I can offer, so I just can’t wait to get going.
“When I was at Leicester, I used to sit next to Kasper in the changing room, so I’ll be happy to see him again.”
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Meanwhile, Grant confessed he feels Rangers have made a great signing with former Aberdeen idol Bojan Miovski.
The Light Blues splashed out £4.2 million to take him from Girona.
But Grant wishes Celtic, instead, had swooped for him while the North Macedonia international while he was still at Pittodrie.
He said: “I must admit, I think Miovski will be avery good signing.
“I think that is a very good piece of business.
“I think he is a very good striker.
“I thought Celtic or Rangers could have went for him two seasons ago.
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“When he became available again I would have been in the pot for him.
“He works the line really well, he looks to get in behind you, works really hard for his team-mates, lays the ball off and wants to get into the box.”
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