Source: Team_Talk
Grant hails Fortune's character
Fortune netted a double in Thursday night's 3-3 Europa League draw against Rapid Vienna, five days after bagging his first goal since August when he lashed home a spectacular winner at Motherwell.Despite missing two months with a knee injury, the £3.8million summer signing had endured widespread criticism for his lack of goals.Celtic manager Tony Mowbray has always stressed Fortune offers more creating moves than finishing them off, but Grant revealed the former Nancy striker has been putting in extra shooting practice in a bid to stave off the criticism.Grant worked closely with Fortune at West Brom during the second half of last season after Mowbray took him to the Hawthorns on loan, and he was always confident Celtic had captured a quality signing."I thought he was excellent again," Grant said at Lennoxtown on Friday."He led the line very well, he got his goals and kept going."The great thing about him is that he has shown great character."Yes, he has been getting criticism. He understands that when you play for this club, when you are a striker, you are expected to score goals."But the one thing he has done, he has battled away. In training every day he has asked to do extra finishing work. He is not hiding the fact that has to be better."Fortune's only two other goals for Celtic before Fir Park came against St Johnstone at Parkhead but Grant insists he was not bought purely to score goals."We have always said we felt the team would score more goals with Marco in it," the former Celtic midfielder said."You saw Shaun (Maloney) and others earlier in the season got more goals when Marco was playing. He brings something different."Last night he scored a goal that was unusual for him, sliding one in from three yards."He is more of a power runner and you saw that when he came on against Motherwell and scored a wonder goal."Then he was run away from Motherwell like they weren't there and hit the post."Fortune netted five goals in 17 Premier League games for West Brom as they failed to avoid relegation, but their overall goal tally increased with the Frenchman in the team.Grant added: "Marco is not a Frank McAvennie, Charlie Nicholas, Brian McClair-type who is going to score 30 goals a season, but he brings a helluva lot of different things to your team."If Marco scores five goals a season and has created 20, we will be delighted."That's what happened to West Bromwich Albion. If you ask the players down there, when we brought him in the midfield must have scored 20-25 goals before the end of the season and a lot of that was down to Fortune."Let me tell you, these boys don't like playing against him in training when he is on song."Hopefully over the last few games we are starting to see the real Marc Fortune, and that is great credit to him because it shows a lot of character."Other Premier League managers also appreciated Fortune with Celtic beating the likes of Hull, Portsmouth and Fulham to his signature in July."I'm sure he would have doubled his money in the Premier League and I think that proves the kid wants to play with a club that is involved in Europe," Grant said."That's why we are delighted he has scored in Europe. The experience will have stood him in good stead."Fortune's goals got Celtic back into a game which looked beyond them inside 20 minutes when they found themselves 3-0 down, and his strike partner Paul McGowan secured a morale-boosting draw.McGowan, who has spent time on loan at Morton and Hamilton, was making his first appearance under Mowbray.Grant feels only the SPL's under-21 rule, which ensures teams have three young outfield players in their match squad, has prevented the 22-year-old featuring in more games."Young McGowan has been doing exceptionally well in the reserves," Grant said."It's been difficult for him with this under-21 rule, that he has not been near the first team more often because his performances have merited that." Hearts v Celtic To Score in 90mins: Fortune, M. 11/8