Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers backs Stuart Armstrong to score goals for Southampton
Thursday 28 June 2018 12:14, UK
Brendan Rodgers is confident Stuart Armstrong will score goals in the Premier League following his move from Celtic to Southampton.
The 26-year-old has signed a four-year deal with the Saints after helping Celtic win back-to-back domestic trebles.
Rodgers is sad to see him go but admitted the £7m fee Celtic received was too good to turn down.
"I am really happy for him. It was always his dream to play in the English Premier League," Rodgers said.
"He has gone to a fantastic club that is very, very well run and very well organised. They have got a great coaching environment down there with Mark Hughes, Eddie [Niedzwiecki] and Mark [Bowen] and all the staff that they have.
"They have got a wonderful training facility. The ground is a very good ground so I think it is a great fit for him and I think he will do very, very well.
"Of course you will be sad to lose good players but from the club's perspective they have done good business and Stuart achieves his dream so I am really happy for him."
Armstrong scored 23 goals in 71 Scottish Premier League games for Celtic following his move from Dundee United in February 2015.
And Rodgers is confident Armstrong, who has six caps for Scotland, will continue to flourish under Southampton boss Mark Hughes next season.
When asked how he thinks Armstrong will adapt to the Premier League, Rodgers replied: "It is never easy. He has gone to the most competitive league in the world but he has certainly got all the tools to go down and do well.
"He is physically very good. You need to have good physicality to play in the Premier League down south and he has got that. He has got good power and good speed.
"But what sets him apart from a lot of midfield players is he has an instinct to arrive in the box and score.
"I think that is something that Southampton have obviously been looking at and feel they maybe need more goals.
"I think with that opportunity, with him being really aggressive, he can go and hopefully take that because we all know he can get goals."
