Lennon challenges McCourt

McCourt: Celtic challenge

SKY SPORTS ON SKY

There's more live football on Sky Sports than ever before, including the Barclays Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Clydesdale Bank Premier League, England away Euro 2012 qualifiers and La Liga. With four live Sky Sports channels, as well as Sky Sports News, you'll never miss a moment on Sky. Click here for more.

Related links

Teams

• Celtic

Players

• Paddy McCourt

Also see

• Celtic fixtures
• SPL table
• Celtic stats

Celtic boss Neil Lennon has challenged Paddy McCourt to prove he can be the replacement for departing Aiden McGeady.

McGeady is poised to complete a £9.5million move to Spartak Moscow with Lennon revealing, after Sunday's 2-1 home friendly loss to Blackburn, that the player had already "said his goodbyes" at Parkhead.

McCourt signed a new three-year deal earlier this summer and was given McGeady's wide role on Sunday, producing a typically uneven display of sublime skill, combined with some sluggish decision-making.

Now, with McGeady's departure seemingly inevitable, Lennon wants McCourt to seize his moment to demonstrate he can go from being a bit-part player to someone with a major role to play in Celtic's season.

"Paddy's fitness is improving and he got 90 minutes under his belt today, but he has a wee breather now and again in games," said Lennon.

Talent

"He had a wee niggle with his hamstring so we need to monitor that, but there's no doubting his talent and we saw that again. I don't know if you can ever get him fully fit.

"Everyone has been trying that for the time he's been here, but he may never do it for a concerted period of time.

"Playing consistently a number of games, he hasn't done that since he's been here, but we're working towards that. If he keeps getting niggles, though, we have to pull him out."

When given the opinion McCourt could influence games as much as McGeady, Lennon added: "I agree. He's playing against Michel Salgado, who has been a world-class full-back, and given him a really tough time for long periods of the game.

Wonderful

"They're different types of players. Paddy doesn't have Aiden's dynamic style of play, but he's got qualities that more than make up for that in his vision, touch and timing of passes. We'd all love to see Paddy play 25-30 games a season, but you have to take it week by week."