Celtic are battling former club Rangers for St Mirren starlet Lewis Morgan – but is he ready for his big break at Parkhead?
Jonny Hayes was one of the hottest prospects in Scottish football last season.
The winger scored 10 goals in all competitions as Aberdeen finished runners up behind Celtic in all three domestic competitions, eventually earning a place on the SPFA Player of the Year shortlist – the only non-Hoops player to make the cut.
Though it’s a measure of the huge gulf between ‘the best’ and ‘the rest’ north of the border that Aberdeen’s star man cannot find a regular place in Celtic’s starting XI. Hayes, who cost The Bhoys £1.3 million after a drawn-out transfer saga according to The Express, has featured far less than he would have hoped in his first few weeks at Parkhead.
Perhaps Lewis Morgan should keep this in mind, then, as he chooses his next destination. The Daily Record report that Celtic, Swansea City, Birmingham and Rangers, the club where Morgan started his career, are all hopeful of striking a deal in January.
The 21-year-old is in the form of his life for St Mirren in 2017/18 but could face the same problem as Hayes at Celtic. After all, both prefer to play in a left wing position – although Hayes demonstrated his versatility with a recent wing-back role against Ross County.
Therefore, Morgan would have to fight arguably Celtic’s star man, Scott Sinclair, for a place in Brendan Rodgers’ starting XI. Needless to say, that is easier said than done with the former Manchester City winger a cut above most in Scotland.
The prospect of working with Rodgers at the Champions is undoubtedly exciting for a young, homegrown player. But with Hayes struggling for regular starts at Celtic, what chance would Morgan have?
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