Marco Tilio has been 'building' to Celtic as former Man United coach admits Brendan Rodgers is perfect boss

Rene Meulensteen is convinced old mate Brendan Rodgers has found the perfect Celtic fit in new attacker Marco Tilio.

The Australia coach believes the timing is perfect for the talented Socceroo to be making the switch to Parkhead. With Celtic preparing to lose Jota to the Middle East with the Portuguese winger ready to join Al-Ittihad in a life-changing £25 million deal, Tilio has moved into the squad for a fraction of that figure at a cost of around £1.5 million.

Just as Jota was when arriving two years ago, Tilio is relatively unknown to the majority of the Celtic supporters. But, also just like the former Benfica kid, Meulensteen is sure the Aussie can soon win the adoration of the Parkhead faithful with his skills, goals and desire to graft. The 21-year-old has the ability to play on the flank and get into the box to score.

Ex- Celtic striker Scott McDonald has suggested it is unfair to make any direct Jota comparisons as he likens Tilio’s style more to Patrick Roberts, who was an impressive contributor for Rodgers during his first spell at Celtic. Nonetheless, the former Manchester United assistant and Fulham boss knows Rodgers and Graham Arnold’s international No.2 is adamant his mate is still onto a winner with the capture of the star who has become the A-League’s most-expensive export.

Dutch coach Meulensteen said: “He’s an exciting talent and fits the mould of a Brendan Rodgers-type player. Not only does Marco have great qualities in terms of technique, he’s also got a very good temperament and work ethic. I’ve known Brendan a long time and I’m sure we’ll talk again soon about Marco.

“The fans might not know too much about Marco right now but he’s got the sort of game which I think is perfectly suited