FOR MONTHS, IT WAS AN OPEN SECRET — KIERAN TIERNEY WAS DESTINED TO RETURN TO CELTIC. FANS WERE JUST WAITING ON THE CLUB TO MAKE IT OFFICIAL. LAST WEEK, THAT LONG-AWAITED ANNOUNCEMENT FINALLY ARRIVED. NOW THE FOCUS SHIFTS TO A CRUCIAL QUESTION: WHO WILL COMPETE WITH HIM FOR THE LEFT-BACK ROLE?
ONE THING IS CLEAR — IT WON’T BE GREG TAYLOR. HIS CONTRACT RUNS OUT THIS MONTH, AND REPORTS SUGGEST HE’S ON HIS WAY OUT, POSSIBLY JOINING FC COPENHAGEN ON A FREE TRANSFER, THOUGH OTHER CLUBS ARE IN THE MIX.
THAT LEAVES BRENDAN RODGERS WITH A HEADACHE. TIERNEY, DESPITE HIS TALENT, HAS A WELL-DOCUMENTED INJURY HISTORY. CELTIC SIMPLY CAN’T RELY ON HIM ALONE ACROSS A GRUELING 60-GAME SEASON.
BUT A SOLUTION MIGHT ALREADY BE IN PLAIN SIGHT.
FORMER CELTIC STRIKER ROSS MCCORMACK BELIEVES THE ANSWER IS JEFFREY SCHLUPP. THE VERSATILE DEFENDER, WHO ONCE HAD A LOAN SPELL AT CELTIC, IS NOW A FREE AGENT AFTER A SOLID PREMIER LEAGUE CAREER WITH LEICESTER AND CRYSTAL PALACE, AMASSING AN IMPRESSIVE 280 APPEARANCES.
SCHLUPP QUICKLY SETTLED DURING HIS TIME IN GLASGOW, EVEN HELPING CELTIC LIFT THE TITLE. THOUGH HE LOST HIS STARTING PLACE TOWARD THE END OF THE SEASON — INCLUDING THE SCOTTISH CUP FINAL — HE’S PROVEN HE CAN HANDLE THE PRESSURE OF PLAYING AT CELTIC PARK.
MCCORMACK TOLD CLYDE 1 SUPERSCOREBOARD:
“CELTIC PLAY 60 GAMES A SEASON. IF TIERNEY PLAYS 35, YOU NEED A QUALITY BACKUP FOR THE OTHER 25. SCHLUPP FITS THAT ROLE PERFECTLY.”
RODGERS MIGHT STILL LOOK TO BRING IN A YOUNGER OPTION, BUT WITH SCHLUPP AVAILABLE FOR FREE, ALREADY ACCLIMATED TO THE CLUB, AND PROVEN AT THE TOP LEVEL, HE COULD BE A SMART, LOW-RISK ADDITION FOR CELTIC’S TITLE DEFENSE.
