David Turnbull scout report: Celtic’s centrepiece who could erupt for Scotland at EURO 2020

David Turnbull has a story that is one of utter redemption and inspiration, as you might have heard already. As a 19-year-old he scored 15 times and placed 4 assists in the 2018/19 season, all but earning himself a move to Celtic Park. However, a freak scenario transpired where a precautionary CT scan highlighted a problem with his knee cartilage, which would require surgery and prevent his move to Celtic from happening that year.

It took nearly a year to recover with just 38 minutes of football played in the 2019/20 season, before finally joining the Bhoys in 2020/21. What would come about was a sparkling debut campaign in green and white, and this scout report will do an analysis of the type of player he is, and what he could become under the yet-to-be-revealed new head coach at the Lennoxtown Training Centre.

In this tactical analysis, we will look at his role for Celtic under Neil Lennon, his strengths and weaknesses, and how big of a part he could play for Scotland at EURO 2020.

Player profile

Turnbull started his footballing career in 2009 as a nine-year-old with Motherwell and stayed with them until he joined Celtic in 2020. An 11-year journey with a club that served him incredibly well. He rose through the ranks at a very quick pace – consistently playing above the age groups he was supposed to be at. This was rewarded with a first-team debut at 18-years-old towards the end of the 2017/18 campaign, which he duly repaid with an assist against Partick Thistle.

Joining Celtic, he did not become an immediate starter. He had Ryan Christie and Tom Rogic ahead of him in the pecking order, and surely, he would only manage to become a rotation option in his first season for the Bhoys. In an unlikely turn of events, he forced Christie out to the right-wing and eventually benched Rogic to become the first-choice #10, and sometimes he would play as an #8, dependent on the chosen system.

Standing at 6’1” / 185cm, Turnbull is not a mobile attacking midfielder in the mould of Phil Foden at Man City, but rather his teammate Kevin De Bruyne. A rangy midfielder with a fantastic weight of passing and a good variation in his attempts too. Like the Belgian, Turnbull is not opposed to crossing the ball with frequency either, and they both share set-piece duties. Turnbull also has a preference to shoot from just outside the area, demonstrating a robust weak foot in the process.

David Turnbull’s player profile, created by the wonderful Sathish Prasad (@SathishPrasadVT on Twitter).

Expert vision, the finely-tuned weight of pass and variation

Easily Turnbull’s best attribute is his eye for chance creation. He is an instinctively smart player who is always looking to pass the ball into pockets of space where a teammate can collect the ball and take a chance on goal. His vision, and speed of thought to act on these opportunities, sets him apart from any other playmaker in the division. It is a skill that many top players in Europe do not possess either.