McDonald: Celtic need TWO proven strikers, not just one, to fix goal shortage

Scott McDonald has urged Celtic to sign not one but two proven goalscorers this summer, warning that Martin O’Neill cannot afford to gamble on unproven names as he rebuilds his forward line.

Speaking exclusively to Record Sport, the former Hoops striker drew on his own experience of arriving at Parkhead under intense scrutiny, having joined from Motherwell for around £700,000 nearly two decades ago and gone on to score 31 goals in a remarkable debut campaign.

McDonald’s exploits helped fire Celtic to three league titles in a row and eased memories of Helicopter Sunday. Now, with Kelechi Iheanacho having departed and Daizen Maeda expected to follow him out of the door, he believes the club face a similar rebuilding job in attack.

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Qarabag forward Camilo Duran has emerged as a prime target after catching the eye with five Champions League goals last season, according to the Daily Record. But McDonald insists O’Neill’s priority should not stop at a single marquee arrival.

“I think it’s always important when you’re a Celtic or Rangers that you have a 20-plus goalscorer in your team,” McDonald told Record Sport. “In years gone by, Celtic have always found a way to have success at the top end of the field. Kyogo was the last one and then it’s been stopgaps from there.”

“Across the front line is where Martin is certainly going to be looking seriously. As much as everyone wants them in immediately, it has to be the right ones as well. We can’t just throw money at silly names or inexperienced ones.”

“I think they need someone who has a goal-scoring record. There’s no question of that. They’re going to have to spend some money to do that, whether that’s breaking the bank or not. Celtic have been quite astute in the market in years gone by. Could they do it again? Potentially.”

McDonald went further, insisting the rebuild must extend beyond a single centre-forward given the uncertainty around other attacking options. “It’s not going to be just one. They need at least two nines and more attacking players as well, because you just don’t know what the opinion is of the likes of Yang and Seb Tounekti,” he said. “Everyone knew at the end of the season that the club needed a revamp, and it still has to happen.”

He acknowledged the frustration among the Celtic support over the lack of confirmed incomings so far this window. “The fans will be venting their frustration at the moment because there’s no movement. I’m sure there’s plenty of business going on around in the background. Whether or not it’s the right one, only time will tell on that,” he added. “It has to be a lot better than what it has been in the last two seasons if they’re to challenge again to be champions.”

Mentality is the difference, says McDonald

McDonald went on to score 63 goals in two-and-a-half years at Celtic Park, forming a lethal partnership with Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, but he has since watched numerous strikers before and after him buckle under the weight of expectation at Parkhead. He pointed to recent Bundesliga imports Tomas Cvancara and Junior Adamu as examples of forwards who struggled to deliver.

“I think it’s definitely a mindset. You’re privileged when you come to a club like Celtic, in that climate where you dominate the ball for big parts of games,” he said. “We’ve seen so many strikers come and go from both sides of Glasgow, where it’s too much for them because they can’t handle that pressure. Every time you miss, it’s scrutinised completely. You’re always judged on your numbers as a nine at Celtic or Rangers.”

He believes positioning, rather than raw talent alone, separates those who thrive from those who fail. “For every Kyogo, Gary Hooper or myself, there’s been three or four that have failed,” McDonald said. “That’s the biggest key. If you can be in the right areas, then you score goals.”

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