Jackie McNamara played alongside some pretty big beasts at the back for Celtic but he reckons wounded warrior Cameron Carter-Vickers is a match for most of them.
Record Sport revealed the Hoops hero is playing through the pain barrier with a long-standing sore knee and he could be forced to go under the knife before the season is up. Carter-Vickers will suck it up to get through the Scottish Cup semi-final showdown with Rangers next weekend but it remains to be seen if he’ll need to call time on his campaign with a few weeks to spare.
Parkhead legend McNamara isn’t surprised the centre half has been toughing it out this term. He can see the big fella is made from the game kind of steel he saw when he was at the club. McNamara played in the middle of defence himself at times but his time was a golden era for centre halves in Glasgow’s East End.
Mark Reiper, Alan Stubbs, Johan Mjallby, Joos Valgaeren, Stan Varga, Ramon Vega, there is a pretty extensive list – with Bobo Balde perhaps at the top. It was the land of the giants at Parkhead in size, stature and mentality but McNamara is convinced Celtic’s current rock at the back could look any of them in the eye.
He said: “Carter-Vickers is strong and has a lot of attributes. He’s been a terrific signing. Yeah, he’s up there with some of the best – although he’s not quite the same kind of player as Bobo!
"I played with some cracking centre-backs over the years – Johan Mjallby, Mark Rieper, and so on. Carter-Vickers has definitely been one who has been an excellent signing. He’s very steady and consistent.
“He can definitely play, as well. And with the way Ange Postecoglou sets his team up, he wants everybody to be able to play, including the goalie. He’s been a great addition.”
Carter-Vickers is expected to stick his hand up for selection to face Motherwell at Celtic Park this weekend, where another victory would put the Premiership flag within touching distance.
His soldiering on in recent weeks hasn’t gone unnoticed by the Celtic public. The 25-year-old sitting out the last USA camp over an injury issue set off minor alarm bells, which were heard again when he missed Sunday’s Rugby Park rout over fears about the plastic pitch.
Record Sport’s revelation the surgeon is on standby was a bitter blow, even with Yuki Kobayashi’s hugely impressive performance as replacement. But the injury fears only prove how pivotal the defender has become to this Celtic side.
Ange Postecoglou’s men have been hailed for their attacking flair, with the likes of Kyogo, Jota, Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and Liel Abada getting fans off their feet going forward. But the Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt partnership at the back has been just as important.
So much so, McNamara reckons the American should a leading contender when it comes to the Scottish player of the year awards. Kyogo, Hatate, Jota and Callum McGregor are bound to be in the mix, along with Greg Taylor.
But while Carter-Vickers might need to rest up in the final few weeks, McNamara believes he should have another prize coming his way. There’s some folk who might think it’s a breeze to be a Celtic centre half these days.
The team spend too much time going forward, it might be a pipe and slippers gig for the men at the other end, right? Wrong. McNamara understands it’s Postecoglou’s all out philosophy that makes it even tougher to be the one minding the fort in this line up.
Carter-Vickers has the ability to win the ball but also to play out from the back. He often starts the moves that end up in the penalty area at the other end, but it tends to be the case he’s left along with Starfelt to make sure the back door remains firmly closed.
Celtic’s backs are allowed to go hunting, over-lapping, under-lapping, inverting and converting, which caused rival defences nightmares, but leaves their own ones needing to be switched on at ever single second.
When the rest of the Hoops are swashbuckling, they can do so in the knowledge the big fella is on guard duty. McNamara said: “When it comes to the player of the year, I think there’s been a number of players in top form, including Kyogo with his goals.
"But Cameron Carter-Vickers, for me, has been immense. A lot of what he does maybe goes unnoticed because Celtic are always on the attack, but when the full-backs are forward, there’s more onus on the centre-backs to defend properly.
"Reo Hatate has also been immense, you see him getting better every week, as well. Aaron Mooy has also been really good in midfield. There are certainly a few candidates.”
There’s no debate over Carter-Vickers when it comes to his gaffer. Postecoglou pushed the boat out last summer to turn his loan move from Spurs into a permanent move and the £6m plus fee made him the second most expensive defender in the club’s history, just behind the £7m spent on Christopher Julien.
It already looks a shrewd investment. An op going into the summer might actually help keep a few suitors at bay, but everyone associated at Celtic is aware the defender could at some point attract some serious interest.
The good thing for the Hoops is they already have Kobayashi on the books and anyone who is thinking about making the call better have a hefty chequebook to hand. Postecoglou has raved about Carter-Vickers all terms and as far as he is concerned he’ the best backline man in the entire country right now.
He said: “I would say he's probably the best defender in the league. If anyone disputes that, I'm happy to put up an argument. He's been outstanding for us.”
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