MOVING out on loan offers Anthony Stokes a fresh start and I just hope he makes the most of it. He’s got all the talent needed to do well but he needs to get his head right. He can’t allow himself to fall back into his old habits of only doing just enough when he could be exceptional.
He will be a great signing for Hibs – if he ends up there – if his attitude is right. There is no doubting his ability and he’s got fitter at Celtic, too, as he’s bought into the sports science side of things. He’s a top player and any time he has faced us I’ve always thought he looked dangerous and he would usually score. Even if he didn’t, his movement was good and he posed a threat.
But he needs to be back in the right frame of mind to produce his best.
If he had gone to Inverness, then I don’t doubt that John Hughes would have got the best out of him. He would have kicked his backside when it was necessary and pushed the right buttons to get Anthony producing the form he is capable of.
I’m not saying he has been majorly out of order over the years, but there have been instances that have shown him in a bad light. He now needs to screw the nut and it will be interesting to see how Alan Stubbs manages him if Hibs can get that deal over the line.
I never thought I would write this but Anthony could do a lot worse than take inspiration from Leigh Griffiths. For a while Leigh kept getting involved in daft skirmishes and it looked like he wouldn’t fulfil his potential. Now he seems to be back on the straight and narrow and playing the best football of his career.
Liam Boyce, with us at County, was another. Liam wasn’t a bad boy but he didn’t have the best of diets when he was with Cliftonville and his play suffered. He has come to us and really knuckled down and now we’re reaping the benefits. The fact he was just named the Premiership player of the month tells its own story.
These are the paths that Anthony needs to follow. Players can sometimes just plod along, staying at the same level for years, but it’s up to him now to show he has what it takes to move on to the next stage.
There will be an expectation on him to immediately hit the ground running but it might take him a while to get up to speed as he has not played much for Celtic this season. We signed quite a few boys in the January window last year and it took them a good month and a half to get used to the demands.
Hibs will want to get him out there right away but they have to be careful not to push for too much, too soon. It could take some time. It could be a great move for both parties but only if Anthony’s application is right.
This is also a chance for him to show he could still have a future at Celtic. If he can score a few and catch the eye then that is surely something that Ronny Deila won’t ignore. And even if that doesn’t happen, a strong loan spell could help get him a decent move.
It’s all there for him. I just hope he doesn’t waste the opportunity.
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