Jonny Hayes admits talking to Rodgers after Celtic struggle

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Celtic winger Jonny Hayes impressed against Motherwell on Sunday.

Celtic wide man Jonny Hayes has told The Scottish Sun that he had to speak to Brendan Rodgers after initially finding it difficult at Parkhead.

The Bhoys beat Motherwell 2-0 on Sunday afternoon, with Odsonne Edouard bagging the opener before Richard Tait scored an own goal to seal the win.

Neil Lennon will have been delighted with the result, and especially with the performance of Hayes, who put the cross in for the Tait own goal.

Hayes, 32, started at left back on Sunday, with Lennon handing the Irishman a game there with Boli Bolingoli currently out injured.

The £1.3m signing from Aberdeen in 2017 (Daily Mail) has been a bit-part player ever since arriving at Parkhead, and his future remains uncertain.

Hayes’ contract runs out at the end of the season, meaning he’s currently fighting for a new deal – and he has commented on his time at Celtic and his role in the team.

Hayes knew that he would be a squad player when he arrived, meaning he isn’t complaining about his role and has simply cherished every time he’s played for Celtic.

The former Reading man added that he found life at Celtic difficult to begin with, meaning he had to speak to Brendan Rodgers about the situation, and having been told to just play the natural game that made him a key player at Aberdeen, Hayes found his feet.

“I knew when I signed here I was going to be in and out sometimes,” said Hayes. “I know how the squad works but I won’t be complaining. I’ve cherished every minute I’ve had on the pitch since I got a bad injury. I’m always there when the manager calls.”

“I probably found it a little hard to adapt at first and I spoke about it with Brendan Rodgers. He was keen for me to keep doing the same as I had been at Aberdeen. I managed to get my head wrapped around it and I’ve tried to play my own game within the team. What I showed at Aberdeen was why Brendan brought me here in the first place,” he added.