Benjamin Nygren Delivers 20 Goals in Celtic Debut Season

Benjamin Nygren has scored 20 goals in all competitions in his debut season at Celtic, and that total has put him at the center of debate over whether he should start the final three Premiership games. Seven of those goals have been match-defining in the league, the kind of return that has kept Celtic in the title race and made his place impossible to ignore.

Nygren's League Return

He has delivered decisive goals in tight wins over Aberdeen twice, Livingston twice, Falkirk and Kilmarnock, then added a stunning free-kick in Celtic's 2-2 draw at Tynecastle. Those league contributions turned five points into 16 for Celtic.

That output has come from a midfielder signed for £1.3 million, and it has changed the discussion around Celtic's attack. Some supporters want him dropped for the final three Premiership games, but Peter Grant sees the 20-goal return differently.

Grant's View On Celtic

"Nygren, for me, always plays because we don't have a centre forward who scores many goals," Grant said. He added, "I genuinely feel when Nygren is on the pitch - people can question all parts of his game, of course - but he is the one who looks like scoring the most out of anyone."

Grant also said, "I think if a ball drops in the box to anybody, I always wish it was going to be him," and described the season this way: "I know he's had a lot of criticism but to score 20 goals no matter what from midfield is incredible." He said there have been "a lot of changes within the group" and that Celtic have been playing without a centre forward for most of the season.

Iheanacho And The Final Three

Grant backed Martin O'Neill's use of Kelechi Iheanacho with another blunt line: "So I understand Martin [O'Neill] 100 per cent keeping Iheanacho at the side of the pitch." He also said Nygren was the standout choice for Celtic's Player of the Year awards and called him "worth his weight in gold" because of the timing of his goals.

For Celtic, the practical issue is straightforward: Nygren has been one of the few consistent sources of goals from midfield, and the final three Premiership games now carry a selection argument built around that production. His scoring has already swung tight matches; the decision is whether that output is strong enough to keep him in from the start.