Moritz Bauer bags stunning hat-trick after forgettable Celtic loan spell

Celtic fans will remember Moritz Bauer, though his loan spell at Parkhead won’t exactly go down as one of the most successful in history.

The Bhoys wanted a new right back last summer, and decided to bring in Bauer on loan from Stoke City – but he wasn’t the only one.

Hatem Abd Elhamed came in from Hapoel Be’er Sheva, and Jeremie Frimpong made a rapid rise following his move from Manchester City.

That meant Bauer struggled for playing time at Celtic, making just 13 first-team appearances before being sent back to Stoke at the end of his loan move.

Celtic unsurprisingly didn’t pursue a permanent deal for the 28-year-old, and he is now trying to get himself back into the plans at Stoke under Michael O’Neill.

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On Monday, Bauer turned out for Stoke’s Under-23’s in a 4-1 thumping of Reading, and he remarkably bagged a shock hat-trick.

The defender has never scored a senior goal at domestic or international level, but came up with three in one game to leave fans stunned.

Celtic fans may be left wondering if this is the same Moritz Bauer that barely made an impression at Parkhead, but rest assured that it is – and maybe he can now get his career back on track after his tough year at Parkhead.

In other news, Report: Dele Alli has sat out training two days in a row, talks ongoing over exit