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Lee Congerton signed Adam Matthews at Sunderland; should he offer Celtic return?

Adam Matthews Celtic (Reuters)
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The former Celtic defender is in desperate need of an escape from Sunderland.

Sunderland's Adam Matthews in action with Leicester City's Jeffrey Schlupp

We’ll forgive you for forgetting that Adam Matthews is still contracted to Sunderland. It tells you all you need to know that his debut in a 4-2 defeat at Leicester City on the opening day of last season was about as good as it got for the right-back.

That 36 minute cameo was his only Sunderland appearance across the entirety of last season while a debilitating ankle injury and the appointment of the unconvinced Sam Allardyce, who preferred DeAndre Yedlin, did not help his cause.

And, according to the Sunderland Echo, David Moyes wasn’t willing to give Matthews much of a chance either. Forced to train with the under-23s throughout pre-season, the defender, signed for £2 million from Celtic, was immediately made surplus to requirements and shipped out on loan to Bristol City.

If you’re wondering, he hasn’t exactly set the world alight in his 12 appearences for the Championship strugglers.

Blackburn Rovers Ben Marshall and Bristol City's Adam Matthews in action

Therefore, you wonder how Matthews would have reacted when Lee Congerton was appointed as Celtic’s new Head of Recruitment, as reported by the BBC.

Congerton was the man who brought the right-back to Sunderland in the first place and the fact he is now calling the shots at Matthews’ former club means there’s a chance he could be offered a lifeline.

The former Cardiff City youngster was highly-regarded in Glasgow, winning four Scottish Premiership titles and playing over 100 games for The Bhoys.

Dundee's Greg Stewart (R) in action with Celtic's Adam Matthews

And with Mikael Lustig hitting 30 and encountering a few injury issues while Brendan Rodgers remains seemingly unconvinced by Christian Gamboa, Celtic are nowhere near as strong on the right hand side of defence as they are on the left.

Therefore, a return to Celtic Park could benefit both parties. And the odds of a reunion may have increased with Congerton now at the helm.