There has never been any question about Tete’s ability to make an immediate impact at a new club.
The winger flew out of the blocks at Lyon, after all, and produced arguably the best performance of his Leicester City career during his Foxes debut against Aston Villa. That Tete needed only five appearances to write his name into Galatasaray folklore, then, should come as no surprise to those who have watched the 23-year-old closely over the last 18 months or so.
To say that the summer signing from Shaktar Donetsk changed the game when he came off the bench against Copenhagen in the Champions League group-stages would be an understatement. Not content with setting up Sacha Boey to pull one back, Tete then scored the equaliser himself with the sort of controlled, laser-guided volley which would not look out of place in a Zinedine Zidane compilation.
Equal parts power, equal parts precision.
Tete showing why Celtic wanted him for Galatasaray
“I work constantly in training. I’m very happy that I could score a goal like this in the match,” Tete smiles, opening his Galatasaray account in some style.
“I wanted to add energy (on the pitch). I’m very happy that I was able to achieve this.”
The test now, for Tete, is to prove that his influence can last for longer than an initial purple patch. He quickly fell out of favour at Lyon and struggled to replicate his immediate impact at Leicester City, although he wasn’t helped at the King Power by the sudden departure of the manager who brought him to England just two months earlier.
Brendan Rodgers is a big fan
“(Tete is) a right-winger that can take the ball, pass the ball, look after it, make runs and work,” Brendan Rodgers said after Tete marked his Leicester bow with an ‘absolutely brilliant’ finish versus Aston Villa.
“He knows football. He knows the type of game we were trying to play. His touch is immaculate.”
According to reports, a reunion between Rodgers and Tete was on the cards at one point over the summer; the Hoops boss allegedly looking to bring the Brazil U23 international north of the border.
And while that last gasp stunner on the biggest stage in European football may have Celtic supporters suffering from a serious case of ‘FOMO’, as ever with Tete, it’s not his ability in question but his longevity.
The post 'Absolutely brilliant' Rodgers fave shows Celtic what they're missing in Europe appeared first on HITC.
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