Jonny Hayes continues to slip down the pecking order at Scottish Premiership champions Celtic.
Jonny Hayes is entering his third season as a Celtic player. In truth, few expected him to last this long.
Back in 2017, Hayes was one of the most feared attackers in Scottish football. After scoring 11 goals and providing a staggering 24 assists for Aberdeen, he was the only non-Celtic man named on the SPFA Player of the Year shortlist.
Just weeks later, the Hoops not only snapped up what looked like a £1.3 million bargain but relieved Derek McInnes’s Dons of their star man at the same time (the Express). This looked like a domestic move right out of the Bayern Munich or Juventus playbook.
But the Republic of Ireland international has never come close to repeating such feats of inspiration in green and white with one goal and four assists in two years. He’s been a back-up at best for the last and he has his versatility to thank for keeping his Celtic career alive.
Hayes was converted into a left-back during Brendan Rodgers’ final season at the helm, offering commendable tenacity on the flanks even if he never looked a natural fit.
But what does the future hold for Hayes now, with Neil Lennon looking to mould Celtic into his own image? Does he have a future at all?
Speaking to the Daily Record, Lennon has confirmed his desire to bring in a new left-back after Kieran Tierney’s move to Arsenal, rather than put his faith in the increasingly out-of-favour Hayes. Boli Bolingoli-Mbombo has impressed already this season and, if another arrives, Hayes will be even further down the pecking order.
Six games into the 2019/20 season, the 32-year-old has played just 33 minutes of football.
Further up the pitch, meanwhile, the exit-linked Scott Sinclair has stayed while the dazzling Mikey Johnston appears to get better by the week.
Hayes, as it stands, is the third choice left-winger and the second-choice left-back. With three weeks to go before the Scottish window shuts, his chances could decrease further still.
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