The midfielder has struggled for game time all season at Celtic.
Brendan Rodgers told the Daily Record in January that there was no chance he would even consider letting Gary Mackay-Steven leave Celtic midway through the season. Amid reports of a loan move to former club Dundee United, the Northern Irishman claimed that the winger was an ‘important member of his squad’.
Though the stats don’t exactly reinforce Rodgers’ reasoning. Mackay-Steven has played just six times in the league all season, starting three games, and has not once finished a full match since the former Liverpool coach took over in the summer.
The 26-year-old may have played 80 minutes in Celtic’s 2-0 cruise against Inverness on Saturday, his longest outing of the season, but that was merely the result of James Forrest being forced off very early on. And, according to The Evening Times, Forrest’s injury is not as serious as first feared.
“I have been working hard at training and in the gym and you just want that wee chance to play,” Mackay-Steven told The Evening Times.
That chance may not arise under Rodgers, however. The manager raved about Mackay-Steven’s aggressive, front-foot performance in the 1-1 Champions League draw with Manchester City in December, as reported by the Daily Mail, but he has only made a smattering of appearances since.
And it must be remembered that Rodgers showered Scott Allan with similar praise at the start of the season, suggesting he’d play a part in the first-team plans. The midfielder is now embarking on a second loan spell this season alone.
Therefore, you get the feeling that Mackay-Steven is already drinking in last chance saloon at Parkhead. Fail to feature in the final months of the season, with the title already wrapped up, and an exit would surely benefit all parties.
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