Celtic are currently on course to secure the Scottish Premiership title for the fourth year in succession, as they sit 13 points clear in the last international break of the season.
The Hoops were beaten 3-2 by their city rivals Rangers last time out at Parkhead but that only delayed what seems inevitable – Brendan Rodgers lifting his second title in as many seasons since his return to Glasgow in the summer of 2023.
Their efforts to win the division have been bolstered by the phenomenal performances of the likes of Daizen Maeda, Arne Engels, and Nicolas Kuhn, among many others.
As you can see in the clip above, players like Kuhn have provided quality moments at crucial times to win matches for the Scottish giants this season.
What may get lost, however, among the glitz and the glamour of Kuhn, Maeda, and Jota’s wizardry in the final third is the consistent performers who go under the radar.
One former Celtic player who could firmly be placed in the underrated section of ex-stars is Australia international Tom Rogic, who was rarely commended for his efforts on the pitch.
Tom Rogic was an underrated player for Celtic
The left-footed maestro racked up 272 appearances for the Hoops in all competitions over the course of a nine-and-a-half-year spell at Parkhead, joining in January 2013 from Central Coast and leaving in the summer of 2022.
In almost a decade as a Celtic player, Rogic was often a valuable squad player rather than a consistent starter – playing 30 or more Premiership matches in just two of his seasons.
As you can see in the highlights above, though, the Australian star was capable of providing magical moments at times with goals and assists from a central midfield role.
The now-retired dynamo found the back of the net 46 times and provided 51 assists in his 272 matches for the club in all competitions, which shows that he did offer a decent threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals during his time in Glasgow.
He was rarely heralded for his performances in the middle of the park, though, as his first inclusion in the PFA Team of the Year did not come until his ninth and final season in Scotland in the 2021/22 campaign.
Former Hoops centre-back Eric Sviatchenko once told the Celtic Way that some of the things Rogic did on the pitch were “effortless” and that he was not sure if the midfielder was “underrated”.
Rodgers, now, has several players in his current Celtic squad who could fall into that same boat as Rogic as underrated performers for the club.
Celtic's most underrated player
Arguably, Celtic’s most underrated player is Canada international Alistair Johnston, who joined the club from CF Montreal in the January transfer window in 2023.
The right-back has been a brilliant performer for the Hoops in the last two years but has not been named in the PFA Team of the Year for his efforts to date.
Appearances
32
26
Goals
1
4
Big chances created
11
13
Assists
5
7
Dribbled past per game
0.3x
0.5x
Ground duel success rate
59%
56%
Aerial duel success rate
56%
57%
As you can see in the table above, Johnston has offered quality in and out of possession from a right-back berth in the Premiership since the start of last season, providing a huge creative outlet whilst also dominating attackers in defensive duels on the ground and in the air.
As a defender, his displays may go under the radar compared to the likes of Kuhn, Maeda, and Jota – whose goals grab headlines – but he is an equally important part of the team.
There is another Celtic ace, however, who is now on his way to becoming a Rogic-esque, underrated, figure within the Hoops squad – Hyun-jun Yang.
Why Hyun-jun Yang could be an underrated Celtic star
The 22-year-old winger only managed one goal and three assists in 32 appearances in all competitions for the club in his first season last term, which was far from an impressive return at the top end of the pitch.
A poor start to a career at a club can lead to knee-jerk reactions from supporters, media, and even the manager, and there were plenty of critics after his first year in Glasgow. In fact, we at Football FanCast published an article calling for him to be dropped from the team in December of last season, because of his disappointing performances.
It can sometimes take a lot to change an opinion and Yang’s slow start to his Celtic career left him with a mountain to climb heading into the current campaign.
The South Korean star, whose former club president Kim Byung-ji claimed he “could easily become a world class player like Son Heung-min”, has shown big improvements in his performances this season and is now on his way to becoming an underrated star for the Bhoys.
Appearances
24
18
Goals
1
4
Goals per 90
0.09
0.5
Big chances created
5
3
Assists
3
2
As you can see in the table above, Yang has already been directly involved in more goals in the Premiership this season than he was in the 2023/24 campaign.
The Hoops whiz has racked up five goals and six assists in all competitions to date this term, five times as many goals and twice as many assists as last season, and has provided an excellent depth option to the manager in the wide positions.
Rodgers, now, knows that he can rely on Yang to start when needed or come off the bench to make an impact in matches, which was not the case in his first year in Scotland.
This suggests that the potential is there for the South Korean starlet to emerge as a Rogic-esque figure for Celtic, in the sense that he could be a long-serving player who can consistently contribute with goals and assists as a quality squad option – even if he does not become an outright star.
Not Maeda or Kuhn: Celtic's "amazing" star should be the Player of the Year
This Celtic star should be the Player of the Year over both Nicolas Kuhn and Daizen Maeda.
ByDan EmeryMar 21, 2025
This, along with his poor start to life at Celtic, is why he could become an underrated part of the squad, just as Rogic was, in the long run at Parkhead.
