Stuart Armstrong has enjoyed a fantastic season with Celtic, proving extremely influential during their Scottish Premiership title-winning campaign.
Celtic’s Stuart Armstrong in action with Rangers’ Danny Wilson
Stuart Armstrong’s former Dundee United teammate Ryan Dow has suggested that Brendan Rodgers’ presence may be the factor that persuades the Celtic midfielder to ignore any potential interest from elsewhere, the Daily Record reports.
Armstrong has been a revelation for the Hoops this season, just one year after his Parkhead career was seemingly going nowhere under Rodgers’ predecessor Ronny Deila.
The 25-year-old has scored 13 times in the league and contributed six assists to help the Bhoys retain their Scottish Premiership title, so understandably some fans are concerned that the club may have to field bids for the Scotland international at the end of the season.
And while Dow – who now plays for Celtic’s next opponents Ross County – is certain that the Hoops will have to fend off interest in Armstrong, he suggested that Rodgers staying with the club could influence what the midfielder wants to happen with his future.
“I’m sure there will be interest in Stuart. Goalscoring midfielders of his calibre are hard to come by. You can see, by the type of goals he scores, the value he carries and he’s always been good at getting into the box late,” he said, as reported by the Record.
“He was like that growing up at United and going into the first team. Teams will look at that. He’s got everything. Rodgers said that when he came in. He noticed it.
“He had to work on one or two things with Stuart and he has. With Rodgers there that might persuade him to stay. Something might get sorted.”
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers
Rodgers handed Celtic a major boost last week by signing a new contract that is set to keep him with the club until 2021 (via club’s official website), and it would hardly be a surprise if his desire to stay influenced any decision that Armstrong has to make.
The midfielder is winning trophies, earning international recognition and playing the best football of his career under a manager who has committed his future to the club, so it arguably makes little sense to seek a move away.
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