Former Celtic goalkeeper David Marshall, who openly discussed the prospect of a Parkhead return last year, is now “desperate” to leave Derby County in January.
Marshall, capped 46 times by Scotland, has yet to play a single minute of action this season under Wayne Rooney. This comes after managing 33 outings last season including a flurry as captain [Transfermarkt].
Before signing for the Rams back in the summer of 2020, Marshall admitted to wanting a move back to Celtic Park [Scottish Sun]. In the end it never materialised, and the Hoops instead brought Vasilis Barkas to Parkhead in a major blunder from the recruitment team.
Celtic have since sorted out their shot-stopper issues by signing Joe Hart from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer. But they still have a big problem with a lack of back-up quality. And speaking on the Go Radio Football Show on Friday night, Marshall admitted he’s ready for his next move:
“I’m desperate to get out in January, obviously, difficult with Derby’s situation with the club going into administration. So it’s a difficult time and sometimes these things are taken out of your hands as a footballer.
“I was disappointed how it [a failed transfer move] happened in the summer. Never really give me enough time to get somewhere. Obviously the knock on of that is you lose your spot in the Scotland squad.
“So I’m looking at the minute to try and get something sorted for January but nothing yet but I’m sure the closer it gets there will be a few options there. I’m training with the first team every day. There’s not been an issue that way. I’ve not had any fitness issues, so hopefully early January something will come.”
David Marshall as a Celtic back-up option would be a major upgrade
If there’s even a small chance of Celtic getting Marshall back as a number 2 then it has to be done.
Given Derby’s financial situation, it’s unlikely that Marshall is going to cost an overly-excessive amount of money. With a contract that also expires in the summer, the Rams will likely just be happy to get him off the wage-bill.
Marshall doesn’t necessarily have the quality to be a Celtic number 1 these days. Especially not with Hart in between the sticks. But he would be a major upgrade on any of the back-up options we currently have at Celtic Park.
He’s still playing international football on a regular basis even if he’s recently lost his place in the Scotland team to Craig Gordon. There remains a real trust there between Steve Clarke and the player. His shot-stopping, distribution, and experience all trump both Barkas and Scott Bain respectively.
Granted, there’s the million dollar question that we haven’t covered yet. Would Marshall actually accept a move knowing that he wouldn’t be first-choice? After all, he’s likely wanting to leave Derby because he can’t get regular football. But Celtic could easily strike a balancing act and rotate Hart and Marshall effectively.
A few years ago we would’ve turned our noses up at the prospect of David returning. But these days, he’s better than anything we have in reserve. Signing him in January would undoubtedly strengthen us.
In other news, Davie Provan’s bizarre Manager of the Month remarks after Celtic boss’ success
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