Jonny Hayes has gone from zero to hero at Celtic in recent weeks.
Chris Sutton suggested during BT Sport’s live coverage of Celtic’s Europa League tie with Valencia (broadcast on 21/2; 19:37) that Jonny Hayes is an example to everyone in the Hoops squad with the way that he has taken his opportunity in recent times.
After a superb performance in the dramatic win against Kilmarnock at the weekend, Hayes was handed the chance to start in the Mestalla as Brendan Rodgers’s side looked to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first-leg.
It was not to be for the Scottish Premiership champions as Los Che won 1-0. But it was an incredibly impressive showing from Celtic, who had to play most of the game with 10 men after Jeremy Toljan was sent off during the first-half.
And one of the players that really stepped up was Hayes. The 31-year-old seemed to have unlimited amounts of energy as he flew down the line in both directions to help in defence and attack.
It was the kind of performance that Celtic fans would have probably not expected from Hayes a couple of months ago. Before December, the 31-year-old had endured a miserable spell, but he has turned his fortunes around completely.
And ahead of the final few minutes of the second-leg, Sutton admitted that he is a big fan of the wide-man and the way that he has responded to his critics.
“I’ve got a lot of admiration for Jonny Hayes,” he told BT Sport. “He’s all-in. He’s had a tough time at Celtic, but when he is thrown in, he gives it absolutely everything.
“He works his socks off, an example to everyone. He wasn’t first choice when the shirt was up for grabs last week. That’s what you do when you get your opportunity.”
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