Ghanaian defender Jeremie Frimpong earns rave reviews with Celtic performance against Livingston

When Jeremie Frimpong gets motoring down the flank, you can just about hear your own eyes wheezing as they struggle to keep up with watching him.

With sizzling pace, boundless energy, tireless industry and sprightly invention it’s no wonder Neil Lennon described the Dutch teenager’s performance against Livingston yesterday as "one of the best I've seen from a right-back at Celtic."

In the grand traditions of celebrated Celtic right-backs, like Danny McGrain and Jim Craig, that was high praise indeed.

Frimpong himself used to be a flying winger in his earlier years. So why the switch to right-back? “Because I can’t finish," he said with a chuckle as he made a self-deprecating assessment of his goalscoring prowess.

Attack remains the best form of defence in Frimpong’s eyes and his regular surges up and down the park yesterday were a major weapon in the Celtic armoury. "It had everything," added Lennon of the 18-year-old’s display. "Pace, power, assists, shots on goal, recovery runs, defending. For a kid at 18 to come into a daunting environment like this – he's handled it brilliantly.”

Frimpong, who signed a four year deal in September from Manchester City, continues to revel in his new environment in Glasgow and the Amsterdam-born youngster is keen to make the right-back position his own.

"When you want to play at the top you can’t be shy, you just have to go and play and that is what I am doing,” he said. “I have been ready for this all my life so it is good. When I get on the pitch I just do what I do best; just go and attack and help the team out as much as I can too defensively.

"I am just going to keep working harder and harder and hopefully the manager will keep putting me in."

As Frimpong continues his footballing education, there are plenty of pearls of wisdom to be gleaned in and around Celtic Park.

"When I first came here I spoke to Danny (McGrain) and he helped me a lot,” added Frimpong. "Scott Brown in particular has been helping me a lot. He says ‘just do what you do because no-one can live with you, just go and show the fans what you can do."

"I knew Scott was a good captain, I heard that from everywhere. When he plays, he always gives 100% and I knew if I was going to be in his company he would help me a lot and he has. I am really grateful for that."

Source: heraldscotland.com