Celtic

Roy Keane slates Celtic training facilities and bad eggs in dressing room after Manchester United culture shock

Published

11 months ago

January 10, 2024

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Roy Keane slates Celtic training facilities and bad eggs in dressing room after Manchester United culture shock

The Irishman was shocked by what he was met with when he made the switch in 2005

Roy Keane

Roy Keane admits he was not impressed by Celtic’s training facilities as he went through a culture shock after leaving Manchester United.

The Red Devils legend quit the club after a fall-out with Sir Alex Ferguson and made a stunning move to the Hoops in 2005. After his Parkhead career began with a shock Scottish Cup defeat to Clyde, things didn’t get much better on an individual basis even if they did manage to win the title under Gordon Strachan.

The fiery Irishman, used to playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world at Old Trafford, wasn’t quite prepared for the difference in training facilities. And the fact the players had to meet at Celtic Park before driving up to the training ground in their gear blew his mind.

He also claims there were “one or two idiots” in the dressing toom but insists he got on well with the majority.

Keane told Gary Neville’s Stick To Football podcast: “You talk about getting a shock, I remember when I went to Celtic – it’s this iconic, amazing club. But I leave United and the stadium is amazing, but I hadn’t really seen the training ground.

“I am going back a few years, they have a good one now, but I was in the dressing room at Celtic and they go to the dressing room to get changed, and I had been at United; but you change at Celtic Park and drive to the training ground in your boots and your gear.

“Three or four of us would drive in the car and usually it was f****** raining up there, we would train and then all get back in the car and drive back. All of a sudden you are thinking, ‘this is different’.

“But for all my comforts at United I did enjoy being in another dressing room. The Celtic lads, there was one or two idiots, but generally speaking they were all great lads. I really enjoyed my time at Celtic in terms of a different dressing room.”

Keane also claims Strachan made the decision to step away from recruitment after making too many mistakes in the transfer market.

He added: “When Gordon was the manager of Celtic, and listen Gordon had a bit of success, he said he backed away from transfers. He said he signed too many bad players.

“Gordon held his hand up and said I am not too good at spotting players. He had obviously had success at bringing players in at Coventry or whatever but he got to the stage where he said I’m backing away from this. I’m sure he had some sort of conversations, but he said I’m not getting involved.”

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Celtic transfer ‘collapses’ as club ‘turn attentions’ to Liverpool player

The Hoops goalkeeper’s proposed move to Austrian side Sturm Graz has fallen through

Celtic goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist looks set to stay at Parkhead for the time being after a proposed loan move to Sturm Graz collapsed following their decision to turn attentions elsewhere.

The Hoops’ third-choice stopper has made just two competitive appearances for the Scottish champions since joining the club from Dundee United in the summer of 2022 under Ange Postecoglou, featuring in last season’s League Cup campaign.

31-year-old Siegrist was reportedly close to joining the Austrian side in search of more regular game time but the Daily Record claim that club officials “are now considering Liverpool goalkeeper Vitezlav Jaros as an alternative”.

It was suggested that Sturm Graz has been working on a deal for the Swiss keeper for almost a month but have now decided to pursue other targets.

Siegirst finds himself behind current No.1 Joe Hart and understudy Scott Bain in the pecking order, with Bain featuring earlier this season when Hart was ruled out through suspension. He was expected to depart the club last summer but a managerial change prevented him from cutting short his frustrating spell at Parkhead.

However, Brendan Rodgers now looks ready to move some fringe players on and free up some funds to invest in new arrivals. Siegrist was brought in to challenge for the number one jersey after impressing during his time at Tannadice, but his decision to join Celtic over a number of other transfer options hasn’t worked out.

Celtic confirm their first January deal

Celtic have announced the transfer of Yosuke Ideguchi to Vissel Kobe, the club that supplied the hoops with Kyogo Furuhashi and Yuki Kobayashi.

Two years ago the midfielder joined Celtic alongside Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda but a nasty injury on his debut away to Alloa Athletic in the Scottish Cup effectively grounded his Celtic career before it had started. Matt O’Riley made his debut in the next fixture, away to Hearts.

Billed as a holding midfielder with a previous stint in Europe at Leeds United, Ideguchi found that position barely existed at Celtic where they enjoy 70% possession in many domestic matches. James McCarthy and Oliver Abildgaard suffered similar fates.

It appears that Celtic have received a 1m euros fee for the midfielder, the same fee that they paid to Gamba Osaka two years ago. With exchange rate fluctuations there may be a small profit or loss.

Yosuke Ideguchi has today joined J.League Champions, @visselkobe on a permanent transfer.

Best of luck, Yosuke! ? pic.twitter.com/GyISkx307T

— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) January 9, 2024

Ideguchi made five substitute appearances in his ‘debut’ season and spent the 2023 J-League season on loan at Avispa Fukuoka where he was short listed for the Player of the Year Award.

Further departures are expected from Celtic but it has been a slow start, incoming and outgoing, start to the January window.

Shaun Maloney sends clear Celtic message live on ITV during FA Cup coverage

Celtic favourite Shaun Maloney is now trying his hand at doing his talking from the dugout as manager of Wigan Athletic.

The League One side were in FA Cup action on Monday night when they had the difficult task of trying to pile more misery on Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United, but ultimately, it ended in a 2-0 defeat.

When Shaun Maloney was a player, fans witnessed his magic on the ball, especially during his two spells at Celtic.

But you could understand if ‘the happiest’ moment of his career came when he did the unthinkable and won the FA Cup with Wigan in 2012 when they beat Manchester City in the final at Wembley.

Prior to the Man United game, the former winger was keen to express the difference in ‘relentless’ pressure when you are at Celtic compared to other clubs he played for.

Shaun Maloney stated that the pressure isn’t to win trophies when he is at Wigan, but it’s ‘different’ when you are at Celtic, as he told ITV Sport.

Five league titles, and other honours, speak for themselves because he was successful during his time at Parkhead and now he is hoping to continue that success as a manager.

Celtic pressure

“It’s probably the happiest I have been on the pitch,” said Maloney about winning the FA Cup with Wigan.

“I think when you join Wigan. Normally, trophies aren’t the first thing that come to mind, especially when you are in the Premier League. But it’s probably the happiest I have ever been. It’s just pure joy.

“When you are with Celtic, it’s different. The pressure is relentless. This was just utter joy.”

Celtic dominating Scotland

Undoubtedly, the tide has been going one way and one way only for over a decade now.

Brendan Rodgers has played a huge part in that and hopes to go down the same road again this season.

Even though there have been ups and downs, the team are sitting top of the tree and the talking has been done in the big games, as was proven during the 2-1 win over Rangers.

This mini break was probably much-needed given the heavy schedule the team has had to face this season and you would expect the best form of the season to now come to the fore during the second half of the campaign.

Celtic transfer reported to Fifa, Rangers offered £10m for striker, Hibs prepare for new signing…

The latest January transfer news involving Scottish Premiership clubs

Rangers have been linked with Nottingham Forest striker Emmanuel Dennis. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Rangers blow in winger pursuit

Rangers may have to wait until the summer to land Vitesse Arnhem winger Million Manhoef amid reports that the Eredivisie club are not prepared to let him leave before the end of the season. The highly-rated Dutch Under-21 international has been linked with a move to Ibrox this January in a £2.5million deal. However, according to reports in Der Gerlander, Vitesse are prepared to “veto” any move for their player as they feel it would consign them to relegation. The article also claims club bosses reckon the 22-year-old could earn them a larger transfer fee in the summer with his contract not expiring until 2025.

Celtic transfer reported to Fifa

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The deal that brought Luis Palma to Celtic from Greek side Aris Saloniki has been reported to Fifa by his previous club Vida over unpaid fees. The Honduran winger has been a big hit at the Scottish champions with seven goals and nine assists in 22 appearances since making the £3.5 move in the summer. Aris signed Palma in 2019 in a deal reported to be worth €200,000 with a 35 per cent sell-on clause. Vida insist they are still owed money from the original transfer, as well as the move to Celtic, and have taken the dispute to Fifa. Club president Luis Cruz said: “The first transfer for Luis Palma was for €200,000 and we built in a 35 per sell-on fee. But we did not receive any payment after his transfer to Celtic. Celtic bought Luis for €4.8 m £4.1m), we know that. I told Luis when he was leaving us not to go to the club in Greece and I had arranged a transfer to a club in Portugal instead, but his agent insisted he go to Aris. They haven’t paid us the full amount from the first transfer either and the sell-on fee which has hurt us financially a great deal. In total, they owe us around £50,000 from the original transfer and the sell-on. We have been left with no alternative but to take the matter to FIFA. We are happy that Luis has been a big success at Celtic, but for this club to survive, we need this money. To keep a club afloat, we have to do this. I had to delay payments and reduce salaries because of this.”

Josh Doig set for Torino move

Josh Doig’s touted move to Rangers appears dead in the water with reports in Italy claiming the left-back is close to joining Torino. The former Hibs defender looks set to depart Hellas Verona in the January window and, according to Calciomercato, he is poised to remain in Serie A after reaching a verbal agreement over a move to Turin. Doig played just over 70 minutes in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Inter Milan at the San Siro amid transfer speculation linking the Scotland Under-21 international with a £5.2m departure. Verona could move for Rangrs left-back Ridvan Yilmaz as a replacement for Doig with the Turkish international said to be a target for the Italians. Rangers remain in the market for a left-back and have been linked with Kai Wagner (Philadelphia Union), Gijs Smal (FC Twente), and Fredrik Oppegard (PSV Eindhoven).

Rangers offered £10m striker

Rangers are weighing up a proposal to sign Nottingham Forest striker Emmanuel Dennis. The 26-year-old is currently on loan with Turkish Super Lig side Basaksehir FK but the move has not worked out with Dennis failing to find the net in eight appearances. Forest are prepared to recall the Nigerian international if they can negotiate a move elsewhere. According to transfer journalist Sacha Tavolieri, he has been offered to Rangers but, as things stand, no official approach has been made. Dennis, who cost Forest a reported £10m when he joined from Watford in 2022, is no stranger to current Rangers boss Philippe Clement. He scored 10 goals in 46 games playing under the Belgian during his time at Club Brugge prior to earning a move to the English Premier League. Dennis is said to be ‘interested’ in the potential Ibrox reunion.

Hibs ‘primed’ for new arrival

Hibs are said to be closing on first signing of the January transfer window in the shape of Leeds United defender Kris Moore. The 20-year old, who can play at both right-back and centre-back, has yet to make the senior breakthrough at Elland Road but has been impressing for the club’s Under-21 side. According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Moore is ‘primed’ to complete his move to Easter Road on a loan deal until the end of the season. With Chris Cadden out injured and Lewis Miller away at the Asian Cup with Australia, Hibs manager Nick Montgomery is keen to bolster his options at right-back.

Rangers and Celtic linked with ‘next Paulo Maldini’ as £6m left-back available for cut-price transfer

Reports in Italy have linked with Old Firm with the impressive left-back

Gijs Smal has been linked with Celtic and Ranger

Rangers have been linked with a move for a Dutch left-back who has been compared to Paolo Maldini – weeks after he was first mooted with a switch to Celtic.

Once in every while, Celtic and Rangers manage to snag a cheap player who goes on to achieve huge things in football; Gennaro Gattuso, Henrik Larsson, Virgil van Dijk, the list goes on. And, whilst there haven’t been many of those in the past couple of years, the standing and reputation of the two Glaswegian giants always allows for top talents to be linked with a move to the second city as a result of their footballing exploits.

With defensive reinforcements needed for both clubs if they are to increase their standing in European football, the European market is something that both clubs generally tap into to find potential bargains and increase their value on the domestic scene.

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And according to reports in the Netherlands, Ibrox has emerged as a possible destination for FC Twente left-back Gijs Smal, with the defender being dubbed ‘the new Maldini’.

Smal is out of contract in the summer, though with Borna Barisic not getting any younger and the jury still out on Ridvan Yilmaz, there could well be a vacancy in the left-back rank which Smal has been tipped to take over, alongside Josh Doig of Verona who has been touted for a ‘swap deal’ for Yilmaz.

‘Smaldini’, which he has been coined with due to his similarities to AC Milan legend Paolo, signed for Twente aged 23, and racked up an outstanding 10 assists last season for the former Eredivisie champions.

He was valued at £6million last season but will leave in the summer on a free transfer, though if a club stumps up a fee this month they will be able to land him early to avoid competition for his signing – which Twente transfer chief Arnold Bruggink opened up over.

He said: “Of course we would very much like it if Gijs signed a new deal with us. But both parties have to want that. And we have to be realistic about that part of his future sadly.”

Celtic were linked with a move last month given Bernabei’s poor start to life in the green and white shirt, though he would have to contend for game time with Greg Taylor.

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Celtic Loan Bhoy Dumped Out of FA Cup

Celtic loanee Haksabanovic and his Stoke side faced a stern test against Premier League outfit Brighton in the FA Cup on Saturday, a challenge that ultimately saw them knocked out following a 4-2 defeat.

For the 24-year-old winger, the game was a chance to showcase his talents on a larger stage. Starting in the line-up, Haksabanovic was in the thick of the action for 58 minutes until he was pulled off with Stoke trailing 2-1.

Despite the loss, the outing was another opportunity for him to gain valuable match fitness and experience, adding to his 12 appearances this season. It’s worth noting, however, that his journey this term hasn’t been all smooth, with an earlier injury sidelining him and disrupting his rhythm.

Signed by Ange Postecoglou, Haksabanovic arrived at Celtic with a promising aura but never quite managed to cement his place in the team. Brendan Rodgers made the decision to send Sead out on loan, a move that spoke volumes about his immediate future with the Bhoys.

Now, half way through the season and next summer looming, his return to Celtic Park is on the horizon.

What lies ahead for Haksabanovic in the green and white?

His time away, marked by a mix of individual growth and collective disappointment, doesn’t paint the clearest picture. As things stand, Haksa’s Celtic career feels like it’s on its final leg. Rodgers has spoke about shaping the team in his image and Sead clearly isn’t in his plans.

Celtic transfer bulletin as Paulo Bernardo permanent deal ‘dangled’ and Tiago Araujo progress update

Bernardo has been one of Celtic’s key men recently but is he at Parkhead to stay?

Goal hero Paulo Bernardo

Paulo Bernardo has a permanent Celtic move dangling in front of him – and has been challenged to reach out and grab it.

The on-loan Benfica midfielder has grown into a prominent starting role under Brendan Rodgers after a peripheral start to life at Parkhead. Dubbed as the man to step into Jota’s shoes as the new superstar from Portugal in Glasgow’s east end, he started just two of the first 18 league games. But after forcing his way into the team against Livingston, he started the final four before the winter break, scoring twice and picking up a brace of assists against St Mirren for good measure.

He’ll be a key man in the second part of the season and there is already clamour from fans to see him signed up permanently with Celtic holding an option to purchase him as part of the loan agreement. And that’s something Paul Lambert would like to see them trigger…if he can keep his form up.

Lambert told The Celtic Way: “The carrot being dangled in front of Bernardo now is that the next five months will determine whether he wins a permanent contract at Celtic or not. If he does well and both parties agree then he will sign the deal. If he doesn’t then Brendan will need to decide on what he wants to do with him.

“In the last few games, Bernardo has started to get going a bit but he has to sustain those levels from now until May.

“Whether you are a young player at Celtic coming through the ranks, or just a young player or an experienced player, the one thing that this club teaches you is that you have to win. You have to win at every level. If you don’t have that feeling of winning, you crave it. It is like a drug. You always need it. It gives you a great grounding.

“If you do happen to move on from Celtic to pastures new then players quickly find out that there are not many clubs like it. The demands that are placed on Celtic players are incredible. That feeling of having to win games is ever-present at Celtic. The fan base demands that you win football matches. The lessons you learn at Celtic stand you in good stead whenever you do leave the club.

Michael Beale fires Rangers and Celtic potshot as Sunderland boss swipes at derbies that ‘don’t let the fans in’

Beale reckons derbies with both sets of fans are what ‘keeps football going’ as he aimed a veiled dig at Rangers and Celtic.

Michael Beale was on the losing end of a derby defeat to Newcastle

Michael Beale took a veiled dig at Rangers and Celtic over the ongoing away allocation deadlock – with a pop at derbies that ‘don’t let the fans in.’

Beale bounced back from his sacking at Ibrox to swiftly land the Sunderland job and it’s been a rocky start for him at the Stadium of Light.

He was in the dugout for Saturday’s heavily anticipated Tyne-Wear derby with Newcastle in the FA Cup, with the Magpies running out comfortable 3-0 winners.

The atmosphere was electric as 6,000 Geordies sat in the away section and made their voices head in the 49,000 sellout crowd. And it was something Beale was keen to celebrate despite his side’s disappointing defeat. Beale was in the dugout for six Old Firm derbies during his time in Glasgow but only two of them, at Hampden, had a significant number of both sets of fans in attendance.

That’s because of the ongoing feud between Rangers and Celtic with neither club currently allowing away supporters in at Ibrox or Parkhead.

And that wasn’t lost on Beale as he told beIN Sports after the game: “The noise in the stadium today was absolutely fantastic. Some derbies, we don’t allow the fans in, and I’ve had that both in Brazil and Scotland. So to have the derby with some opponents’ fans in and the fans working off each other, that’s what keeps football going.”

Video: Celtic loanee scores cracker for Dunfermline at Hampden

Celtic winger Ben Summers scored a cracking goal for Dunfermline last night. The 19-year-old joined the Fife side on a season-long loan to get first team football under James McPake and if he keeps scoring goals like this, he’ll get on Brendan’s radar.

Queen’s Park 2-1 Dunfermline

🗣️ “It’s a cracker, an absolute beauty, from Ben Summers.”

⚽️ Out of nothing Dunfermline are back in the match.

📺 Watch on the BBC Scotlang channel pic.twitter.com/fpyg0LTKuD

— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) January 5, 2024

Since moving to East End Park, Summers has made 11 appearances, scoring twice and assisting twice. The Championship is a better route for young players as opposed to the B Team in the Lowland League.

Born just as Celtic were stopping the Ten, Lubo98 follows Celtic home and away and helps run his local Celtic Supporters Club. He goes to all the games and is a Law Graduate. Has a particular fondness for Tom Rogic among the current Celts and both Lubo and Henrik form his earliest Celtic memories.

‘Fantastic’ Liverpool player has turned down the chance to join Celtic in January

Brendan Rodgers’s Celtic are interested in signing Owen Beck from Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in the January transfer window.

That is according to The Athletic, which has suggested Beck’s stance on a potential move to Celtic Park.

So, what has been reported about Celtic, Liverpool and Owen Beck? Let’s take a look.

Celtic linked with Liverpool left-back Owen Beck

Well, according to The Athletic, Celtic are among the clubs who are interested in signing Owen Beck from Liverpool in the January transfer window.

The report has claimed that Celtic, who won the Scottish Premiership title last season and are managed by former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers, have been keen on a permanent deal for Beck.

The 21-year-old left-back spent the first half of the season on loan at Dundee from Liverpool. He is now back at his parent club.

The Athletic has noted that Celtic want(ed) to sign the youngster to “upgrade their competition at left-back”, but Beck “would have faced a fight to play so they were ruled out”.

MORE CELTIC STORIES

Liverpool FC recall Beck
Dundee Football Club can confirm that Liverpool have recalled Owen Beck and his loan with Dundee has ended.
Owen signed on loan for Dundee in the summer and quickly became an important player for The Dee putting in fantastic performances.
His great… pic.twitter.com/xU7pEYzchH

— Dundee Football Club (@DundeeFC) January 1, 2024

View Tweet

Beck did well during his spell at Dundee, who have described his performances as “fantastic” and admitted that he “will be greatly missed”.

The Athletic has reported that Rangers manager Philippe Clement personally want(ed) to sign the left-back in the January transfer window.

Coventry City, Stoke City, Millwall and Hull City all have made enquires about a loan deal for Beck, but Liverpool have decided that he will be part of manager Jurgen Klopp’s first-team squad due to injuries to Kostas Tsimikas and Andy Robertson. He is rated highly by Klopp.

My View: Future bright for Owen Beck

In my opinion, the future of Owen Beck is bright. That he is going to play for the Liverpool first team in the second half of the season shows how good he is.

Beck did well during his loan spell at Dundee. The left-back made 17 appearances in the Scottish Premiership. He scored two goals and gave two assists in those games.

Celtic and Rangers are massive clubs and interest from them in Beck underlines how highly he is rated in the footballing community.

Sky Sport update; Celtic and Rangers transfer news as Leeds United striker Joe Gelhardt wanted now

Celtic and Rangers transfer news as Leeds United striker Joe Gelhardt now wanted

Leeds United ace Joe Gelhardt has been attracting interest from Scottish giants Rangers and Celtic in the January transfer window, according to the Daily Mail.

The newspaper reported via their website on 8 January that the Leeds man is wanted by both Old Firm clubs amid speculation that he could quit Elland Road this month.

Gelhardt has found game time difficult to come by so far this season, having made just six Championship appearances under Daniel Farke, but both Scottish clubs are in need of reinforcements up front in January.

Loan or permanent

It is not disclosed in the report whether the interest in Gelhardt would be on a loan or permanent move, but a report from The Athletic [21 December] shared that the striker would be open to a loan exit from Elland Road in January if the right deal presented itself.

Leeds, however, may be looking for a permanent solution to his playing issue, to offload the striker and bring in some money as well as get his wages off the books in a bid for greater financial security following last season’s relegation.

That same report from The Athletic shared the news that Gelhardt has been told by Leeds that he will remain at the club through the January transfer window, but the right offer from either Rangers or Celtic could prove tempting.

Gelhardt could be made the main man in Glasgow, with both sides in need of attacking reinforcements to strengthen their title bid, which could tempt him to push through the move to Scotland in the next month if Leeds prove unwilling to let him leave.

Ange Postecoglou flies into unusual rage at Tottenham as he is held in the dugout

Ange Postecoglou loses cool in uncharacteristic Tottenham fury as he’s held back in dugout

The Austalian was usually placid on the dugout at Celtic Park but showed his angry side

Ange Postecoglou was fuming with the Bournemouth bench

Ange Postecoglou cuts a routinely cool figure in the dugout as Tottenham just as he did at Celtic Park.

But earlier this afternoon, during his side’s 3-1 victory over Bournemouth in the Premier League, the Australian lost that cool in a touchline bust-up with the Cherries staff. Postecoglou was livid at the visitors in London after Alejo Véliz picked up a knock during the game. The striker remained on the deck and Bournemouth’s players seemingly played on, perhaps by advice from their coaches, and that left the 58-year-old raging and he made his feelings known.

Ange had to be held back by players on his own side as well as his coaching staff as he made a beeline towards Andoni Iraola’s dugout.

The former Hoops boss was pointing fingers as he raged but was eventually urged to calm down.

Spurs secured the victory to stay fifth in the division thanks to goals from Pape Sarr, Son Hueng-Min and Richarlison. Alex Scott netted a consolation.

Todd Cantwell is Rangers pantomime villain and my painful Celtic reminder proves need for calm – Barry Ferguson

The former Ibrox captain and Record Sport columnist is licking his lips ahead of a mouthwatering showdown at Parkhead.

Rangers’ Todd Cantwell celebrates with James Tavernier (Image: SNS Group)

Todd Cantwell appears to have developed into the pantomime villain of Scottish football with fans of every team apart from Rangers lining up to give him abuse.

And there’s no doubt he’ll get it tight from 60,000 Celtic supporters at lunchtime on Saturday. It’s going to take real mental strength for the Rangers playmaker to block it out and concentrate on doing what he does best, which is bringing energy and creativity to a team that is thriving under Philippe Clement.

Look, I know it’s not easy and there have been times I’ve been unable to practice what I’m preaching. August 2000, Parkhead. 6-2 to Celtic and I’m up the tunnel early for two bookings, the second coming after a bit of daft handbags with Jonathan Gould. Let me tell you, that walk off the pitch and into the dressing room should take 10 seconds but it felt like 10 minutes. Then there’s the wait on your own inside for the final whistle. There’s no lonelier place in football.

And yet, I used that experience as fuel after I served my ban. The next time we played Celtic, we beat them 5-1 at our place. That’s the rollercoaster ride that comes with being at the Old Firm and Cantwell seems to thrive on the experience. Yes, he can get involved in the odd bit of silliness that makes him a target, but he can play and right now he is the creative spark that is vital to this run Rangers take into the Old Firm clash.

They’ll also go into it fresher than they would have been if the Ross County game had been played on Wednesday. But that’s a double-edged sword. Yes, the likes of Connor Goldson, who came off against Motherwell late on, will have had more recovery time, but from a player’s perspective, I always wanted to play when the team is going well. So, I’d rather have played the Ross County game and kept the momentum going, because that’s certainly what Rangers have got at the moment.

When you’re winning games, you want to play as many as you can. Right now, Rangers are flying and the manner in which they coped with the conditions at Fir Park on Christmas Eve told me everything about the mentality Clement has instilled in his men very quickly.

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Rangers’ Kieran Dowell celebrates (Image: SNS Group)

I’m only 10 miles from Motherwell, so I know what the weather was like. I was on a walk on Sunday morning and it was horrendous.

I was thinking: as a footballer, these are the worst conditions to play in. Rain isn’t a problem. The odd day when it’s a scorcher, you can deal with that – but wind is horrendous. I hated it and thought to myself, this is one of those days when you get in and out of Fir Park as quickly as possible with three points. The start of the game won the game for Rangers. They were positive and ruthless and had the points won before Motherwell could get a foothold in the game after half time when Stuart Kettlewell had obviously got into his players at the break.

But it was a professional performance from my old team. Job done. What has really impressed me is the way in which they’ve coped with so many injuries and continued to find a way to win. I don’t think anybody in their right mind would have predicted that Rangers would be going into such a crucial spell with Dujon Sterling and Kieren Dowell as the midfield partnership, but they were outstanding at the weekend.

Sterling has been a revelation in that role. He is like a stallion in the middle of the pitch. Big, strong, mobile and athletic but more than that, he can see and play a pass. With Ryan Jack, Nico Raskin, Jose Cifuentes and then John Lundstram all injured, you are thinking there’s a problem. But I always believe there’s a window of opportunity for somebody to come in and show that they can do a job and operate in different positions.

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The prime example is Dujon Sterling and when Clement has all his midfielders available, the big fella will be giving him a pleasant headache because he has made a really strong argument for staying in the team. He was outstanding in the cup final and really good in the second half against Real Betis in Seville when he came on at the break, so he’s shown he can handle big pressure situations.

That said, the manager will be hoping Lundstram and Goldson are fit for Saturday. They are both big game players and they don’t come much bigger than one. Celtic might not have been hitting the heights recently, but back to back wins have steadied their ship and they carry a huge threat from middle to front with Matt O’Riley playing really well, Daizen Maeda back from injury and Luis Palma a threat out wide. Then there’s Kyogo, who has a good recent record against Rangers.

The Ibrox support, watching in the pubs or at home on their TVs, will be confident and with some justification because of how they’ve handled every challenge thrown at them. This might be the biggest one yet. Have they got the mentality to handle it? I think they do.

Transfer Latest – Jeong Ho-Yeon close to joining Celtic

Celtic are apparently close to expanding their Asian contingent in the January transfer window, with the speculation that they are chasing Jung Ho-Yeon…

The Gwangju FC star is edging closer to a move to European football and his manager, Lee Jung-Hyo, has recently stating that a move to the Scottish Premiership Champions was in the offing and advancing.

The midfielder won the K-League Young Player of the Year in his homeland after helping them to a third-place finish domestically. Highly-rated in South Korea, the engine room man is apparently a good tackler and could provide that something different in the middle of the park for the Hoops, which has been badly lacking for some time now.

The player himself has revealed that he is due to move this coming window to a European club and Celtic was named when asked directly about the speculation. As reported by Chosun, he said: “A move into into Europe is slowly getting closer. During the last season, scouts from some European clubs, including Celtic, came to see me play in person. If I could choose a league, I want to play in the Spanish Primera Liga. From an early age, I loved FC Barcelona’s style of football.”

If this one turns out to be true, it will have to be a success as the club can no longer afford to give players settling in time and grace periods. Yang Hyun-jun and Kwon Hyeok-kyu have both came to the Scottish club and neither have been at the level yet. Now, that’s not to say they cannot become good players in the future, but as it stands, Celtic have a backlog of players that we need to clear off the books permanently or develop elsewhere in the meantime.

Ian Wright’s Celtic story stuns Gary Neville as Roy Keane delivers wild retort

Ian Wright Celtic history leaves Gary Neville gob-smacked as Roy Keane delivers savage one-liner

Arsenal legend Wright spent four months at Parkhead after being signed as a short-term replacement for injured Henrik Larsson

STICK TO FOOTBALL QUIZ WITH PADDY MCGUINNESS

It goes without saying that Ian Wright’s best years were well behind him when the Arsenal legend pitched up at Celtic Park in 1999.

So much so that close pal and Manchester United legend Gary Neville didn’t even know he played for the Hoops! It’s a period in history that Celtic fans would rather erase from memory, and that’s why Wright’s short stint in Glasgow was a forgettable one.

Following Henrik Larsson’s horror leg break in Lyon, boss John Barnes turned to his ex-England teammate by signing the striker from West Ham on a short-term deal. A player in the twilight of his career and living on past glories, it’s fair to say Wright’s time at Parkhead didn’t go to plan as he scored just three times and came on as a second-half sub during that infamous Scottish Cup defeat to Inverness Caley Thistle.

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Mikey Johnston told Celtic destiny is in his own hands as Brendan Rodgers sends blunt message

Barnes paid the price with his job that night and it wasn’t long before Wright followed him out the door, returning south with Burnley where he eventually pulled the curtain down on his impressive career.

Best known for his iconic years at Crystal Palace and Arsenal, Wright’s association with Celtic left Neville gob-smacked as the Stick to Football pundit and sidekick Jamie Carragher were asked by quiz host Paddy McGuinness to list the clubs the goalscoring frontman played for. After Liverpool hero Carragher answered Celtic, astonished Neville turned to Wright and exclaimed: “You went to Celtic?”

Before Wright could get a word in, devilish Roy Keane – who also spent a short spell at Parkhead – immediately dished out a savage one-liner and teased: “He was up there… he didn’t play, did he?”

Justifying his move to Celtic, Wright explained: “I had a period of my career where I was bouncing from one club to another trying to finish in 2000.”

The 60-year-old added: “I played for Nottingham Forest for a month’s loan before I went to Celtic. So it was Palace, Arsenal and West Ham. Then Forest on loan, Celtic and Burnley. I had four clubs in one season, you can’t do that anymore. Me and Harry Redknapp didn’t get on so he blew me out at West Ham. I went on loan to Forest, then Henrik Larsson got injured so I went to Celtic.

“It all went wrong, Barnesy was there, then I went to Burnley to finish it off and we got promoted. It’s a beautiful story.”

You can watch the full Stick to Football episode in the video player above.

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Join Football Scotland’s Celtic WhatsApp community!

Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our Celtic WhatsApp community today.

You’ll receive daily updates on breaking Hoops news as well as the top headlines from Parkhead.

No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Football Scotland team.

All you have to do is click here if you’re on mobile, select ‘Join Community’ and you’re in!

If you’re on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click ‘Join Community’.

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Celtic hero Chris Sutton blasts SFA over ’embarrassing’ mic ruling

Celtic hero Chris Sutton has blasted the SFA for their decision to block Hibernian boss Nick Montgomery from being mic’d up during the Edinburgh derby, calling it “embarrassing”.

The Easter Road manager had agreed to fans watching on Sky Sports at home to hear him throughout the fixture after Hibs agreed to a request from the broadcaster.

It would have been a first in Scottish football along with Montgomery’s assistant Sergio Raimundo wearing a body cam.

And Sutton, who provided live commentary for the game, did not hold back when giving his thoughts on the decision.

Get More Out of Your Computer with Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 DocksAdd up to three Thunderbolt 4 ports, plus other USB and display and network connectors.Tech Advisor

Writing on X, he said: “Nick Montgomery was open and happy to be mic’d up for tonight’s Edinburgh derby.

“It would have been fascinating to hear how he worked and his mindset ingame. But for whatever reason the SFA blocked it.

“The SFA are an embarrassment and stuck in the past. Dear me…”

Meanwhile, Celtic coach Harry Kewell is poised “to leave the club in the coming days”.

This is according to the Scottish Sun who claim that the Australian “edging closer to being appointed as the new Yokohama F. Marinos boss.”

Kewell did not travel with Brendan Rodgers’ side on Boxing Day as the Hoops defeated Dundee 3-0.

Reports in Australia state that John Hutchinson, who worked with Ange Postecoglou at Marinos, is expected to be his No2.

Rodgers previously confirmed that he would not stand in the way of Kewell joining the former J1 League champions.

He said: “”Harry has already managed before, so it is not new to him. He has had a taste of it and I am always one that if staff members want to broaden their horizons then I am very encouraging of that.

“It is also a sign that you have talented people if other clubs want them.”

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Celtic ‘move forward’ in Prospect talks after summer scouting missions

Celtic “advance” in talks with “prospect” after summer scouting missions

Celtic are in the market for quality in the January window…

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has made no secret of his desire to add quality to the ranks at Parkhead in January and his side are now reportedly advancing in negotiations for a known target.

Celtic gearing up for busy January window

Despite a comfortable 3-0 victory over Dundee at Dens Park on Boxing Day, Celtic will be keen to strengthen in January and Rodgers has made his intent to bolster his squad known over the last few weeks.

Speaking earlier this month cited via Sky Sports, the Irishman signalled his intention to add a high calibre of player mid-season, as he stated: “There’s no doubt now that, one, the squad will come down in numbers and obviously we need to add quality. There is no dressing it up, the group lost real quality players in the summer. That’s something that over the coming windows we will look to improve on.”

Boost for Rodgers as Celtic make aggressive January call on Matt O’Riley

Bringing in a striker has become a priority for the Hoops and their need is exacerbated by the fact that Kyogo Furuhashi, Oh Hyeon-gyu and Daizen Maeda could all head off to represent their respective nations on Asian Cup duty. Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Fabio Silva is believed to have been offered on loan as a potential short-term solution to the Scottish Premiership champions’ conceivable shortage of frontmen and it remains to be seen whether the Portugal Under-21 international will move to Parkhead.

Hacken midfielder Romeo Amane, Aberdeen striker Bojan Miovski and Brondby talent Mathias Kvistgaarden are all other names who have been mentioned in connection with Celtic in previous weeks. Now, comments from the manager of a known Hoops target have come to light suggesting that Celtic may be moving closer to completing a signing, as cited by a report.

Celtic “advance” in Jung negotiations

As per reports from South Korea, cited by The Daily Record, Celtic have managed to “advance” in negotiations with Gwangju midfielder Jung Ho-Yeon, who was scouted by Hoops’ chiefs in the summer transfer window.

The Hoops have previously dipped into the South Korean market to recruit Yang Hyun-jun and Oh and could now be set to return to familiar territory for the 23-year-old midfielder.

Jung key statistics – K League 1 2023 (Sofascore)

Balls recovered per game

5.4

Tackles per game

2.0

Accurate passes per game

41.3 (90%)

Team of the week inclusions

Average match rating

6.99/10

Speaking to local media, Gwangju manager Lee Jung-Hyo detailed the latest on the situation, stating: “Jung Ho-Yeon is currently in talks to advance to Europe from Gwangju, but still have a long way to go. If you go to Europe now, you are bound to end up in a clumsy situation. It is wise to prepare well like Cho Gue-sung (who signed for Midtjylland last summer) and choose the team and league well.”

Labelled a “prospect” by Asian football expert Dario Focardi, the South Korea Under-23 international has gone on to make 34 appearances in 2023, registering two goals and three assists (Jung statistics – Transfermarkt).

Celtic will need to attract quality reinforcements if they are to retain their Scottish Premiership title and Jung looks like a midfielder who could add a different dimension to Rodgers’ engine room.

The Celtic January transfer rumour mill has thrown the name of Wolverhampton Wanderers forward, Fabio Silva into the hat.

The 21-year-old was once a £35.6 million club-record transfer for Wolves, but now he is struggling to come off the bench for the bottom-half English Premier League side.

With Brendan Rodgers wanting attacking reinforcements next month at Celtic, the name of Fabio Silva has been mentioned, as reported by TEAMtalk.

Andy Walker has shared that in Brendan Rodgers’ first spell at Celtic, the one-time wonderkid was linked with the club, as he told Go Radio.

But given his struggles at Wolves, it now seems like he will be heading for the exit door in January.

Celtic return, Hamish says goodbye and the future of 67 Hail Hail

With Brendan Rodgers wanting attacking reinforcements next month at Celtic, the name of Fabio Silva has been mentioned, as reported by TEAMtalk.

Andy Walker has shared that in Brendan Rodgers’ first spell at Celtic, the one-time wonderkid was linked with the club, as he told Go Radio.

But given his struggles at Wolves, it now seems like he will be heading for the exit door in January.

Given the huge sum of money Wolves paid for Fabio Silva, and the fact that his contract runs until 2026, then there’s no chance of a permanent move to Celtic.

But never rule out a loan deal, with Andy Walker talking about how the versatile forward has ‘skill’ and ‘ability’ in his game.

Celtic’s transfer links with Wolves’ Fabio Silva

“He was on Celtic’s radar a number of years ago,” said Walker. “I remember doing a game down south and he was playing for Wolves. They were all talking about the interest from Celtic.

Approach made: Celtic ask about move to sign “highly talented” £15M striker, they’ ve had a reply

The Scottish Premiership side are looking to bolster their attacking ranks in January.

Celtic have made an approach to ask about a deal to bring one of their long-term targets to the Scottish Premiership, according to a fresh report that has emerged.

Hoops eyeing Kvistgaarden

Ahead of January, Brendan Rodgers will be assessing his options in the market to see if there are any players he could strengthen his squad with. One recently identified is Brondby forward Mathias Kvistgaarden if claims are to be believed.

The Bhoys are reportedly preparing an improved offer for the striker having seen their opening bid turned down over the summer, but should a deal for him fail to come to fruition for whatever reason, the hierarchy appear to have alternative centre-forward targets.

Sturm Graz’s Szymon Wlodarczyk only put pen to paper at his club during the previous window from Gornik Zabrze where he’s so far made 28 appearances to date (Transfermarkt – Wlodarczyk statistics), but he was on the board’s radar long before his most recent move.

Back in January, Mark Hendry first claimed that Poland’s youth international was of interest to the green and white stripes, though a switch hasn’t yet taken place, hence why he moved elsewhere, and it still sounds like the 20-year-old won’t be making the trip to Glasgow anytime soon despite new efforts.

Celtic submit enquiry for Wlodarczyk

According to Football Scotland, Celtic have asked about signing Wlodarczyk again next month, but after learning his price tag in a response from Sturm Graz, have decided that they couldn’t afford to complete a deal in January.

“Football Scotland can also reveal Celtic reached out to Sturm Graz in an effort to revisit another former transfer target, Szymon Wlodarczyk, but were told his valuation has sky-rocketed to around £15m which would financially be out of their reach in January.”

Wlodarczyk is a “highly talented” striker

Since joining Sturm Graz, Wlodarczyk has racked up 11 contributions (nine goals and two assists) from 28 appearances, displaying how prolific he can be in the final third, and he’s able to pose a constant threat to the opposition’s defence in the attacking areas of the pitch.

Sponsored by Adidas, Walbrzych’s native has recorded 32 shots over the course of the current campaign which is more than any other of his fellow teammates, highlighting what a standout performer he is in front of the net compared to his peers (FBRef – Sturm Graz statistics).

Standing at 6 foot 2, Rodgers’ target is also able to provide a real physical presence up top with his height, with his ability to win aerial duels making him a real handful for any backline to deal with, alongside how dangerous he can be with the ball at his feet.

Described by football scout Jacek Kulig, Wlodarczyk is a “highly talented” player with an extremely bright future ahead of him, but with Celtic not set to splash the cash to get their long-term target in the coming weeks, it could prove to be a blow considering the positive impact that he may have been able to make.

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Chloe is an experienced football journalist and podcaster having worked in the sports media industry for the past three years.

Combining her love of the beautiful game with a passion for writing, Chloe started out creating and editing articles for Our MFC before going on to cover the Euro 2020 tournament with Overtime Sports Online.

In March 2022, Chloe was selected to join the academy team at Snack Media and later secured the role of freelance writer for The Transfer Tavern before moving over to the company’s flagship site, Football FanCast.

Chloe is also a huge Stoke City supporter having been a season ticket holder at the Bet365 Stadium for over a decade.