Manchester City loanee Bersant Celina has shown flashes of his undoubted ability but has found playing time hard to come by under manager Mick McCarthy.
Bersant Celina can be Ipswich Town’s ‘game-changer’ following his stunning winner at Burton on Saturday, according to goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski.
Manchester City loanee Celina has shown flashes of his undoubted ability but has found playing time hard to come by under manager Mick McCarthy since joining in the summer, but climbed off the bench at the Pirelli Stadium to curl home a free-kick before celebrating wildly with the visiting fans.
The goal took his Ipswich tally to four in 11 appearances, but Bialkowski believes the Kosovo international’s all-round ability means he could prove a trump card for the Blues.
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“We were desperate for three points and to score the winner in the last minute was unbelievable,” Bialkowski said. “He (Celina) is a very technical player, very skilful and he has that good strike on him. It’s good we’ve got him and he showed that on Saturday.
“He’s a great lad and I said to him after the game ‘I knew you were going to score’ so I was so pleased for him because he’s been working very hard.
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“He could be a game-changer, if you like. The gaffer said after the game that it wasn’t the game for him from the start but when he came on he made a big difference.
“He is so skilful. The tricks he has are unbelievable and he has great pace, all the skills and a great strike. He could be a real game-changer for us.
“He is (confident) and you have to be. He’s a great lad, he’s still young and you have to believe he is going to do well.”
The Blues head to Wales two points off sixth place with a game in hand, leaving Bialkowski confident his side still have plenty of time to find a level of consistency necessary for a successful campaign.
He does, however, understand why sections of the club’s fanbase have been increasingly vocal in their frustrations in recent weeks.
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“There are no easy games in this league,” he said. “We still have a game in hand and if we win that then we will be a great position.
“It’s a long season there are still a lot of games left and anything can happen.
“Every supporter wants to win every game and I understand that. Obviously they were disappointed after the loss to Norwich, we all were, but we just need to be patient because we’re in a good position.”
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