Former Celtic defender Erik Sviatchenko has conceded that it was a nightmare for defenders to face Patrick Roberts in training during his time at Paradise.

Roberts has been struggling to get game time at Norwich City, on loan from Manchester City, this season but it was very different when he was at Celtic.  

 



The winger joined Celtic on an 18-month loan deal in February 2016 and was a massive hit at Parkhead and was one of the leading lights of the Glasgow giants.

Manchester City were keen to send him out on loan to a different club once he returned in 2017, but Roberts insisted on spending one more season at Celtic and got his way.
 


Sviatchenko played alongside the winger at Celtic in the same team, but he admits that he was a nightmare to deal with for defenders during training sessions.



He conceded that no Celtic defender enjoyed facing Roberts in training and feels it seemed too easy for him to get the better of his defensive team-mates during those sessions.

“I just remember in training going up against him you were always like, ‘Oh no’”, Sviatchenko told The Athletic.
 

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“He was so quick with his feet, so sharp in his turns. For us defenders, it was a nightmare going up against ‘the wee guy’, as we always called him.

“You knew you had to be at your very best. He had this Messi thing — obviously nobody can compare to Messi — but the sliding running, the smooth runs with the ball, coming into the pitch from the right side, curling the ball into the far corner.

“It’s almost like it was too easy sometimes (for him) to place it into the back of the net.”

Roberts had an unsuccessful loan stint at Girona last season and joined Norwich last summer.

He still has a contract until 2022 with Manchester City.