Joe Hart reveals what some Celtic fans still think about Benjamin Nygren

Benjamin Nygren has made an incredible start to the new season, finding the net in each of Celtic’s opening four matches while also contributing four assists.

The summer signing continued his impressive form on Wednesday night when Celtic swept aside LASK 3-0 in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier. Nygren opened the scoring with a stunning strike before Camilo Duran completed a memorable night with two goals of his own.

Former Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart was at Celtic Park for the victory and believes Nygren still has some doubters among the Hoops support. Speaking to TNT Sports, Hart suggested the midfielder is continuing to win over sections of the fanbase.

“He scores brilliant goals,” Hart said. “In some cases, Nygren is still trying to win over the fans. I was speaking to Kasper before the LASK game, and it’s not as though he completely takes the game by the scruff of the neck.

“But if you have a match-winner and a goalscorer, he is a top player. There’s no getting away from that. He is so important to this team.”

Nygren’s numbers deserve more respect

There is an argument that Nygren could become more involved in matches, but much of Celtic’s inconsistency last season came from the team as a whole rather than the Swedish midfielder.

With greater stability around the squad this season, Nygren already appears to be benefiting, becoming more influential and regularly finding himself in dangerous positions.

Even last campaign, the criticism aimed at him sometimes felt excessive. His goals played a significant role in Celtic winning the league title, and reaching double figures from midfield is an impressive achievement.

Considering several experienced Celtic forwards have struggled to match those numbers in recent seasons, Nygren’s contribution deserves greater recognition. His blistering start to the current campaign is certainly giving his critics plenty of reason to reconsider their opinion.