"Big future"; SPFL boss talks up Celtic loan success as he refuses to rule out extension

By Lewis Laird

December 21, 2022

St Johnstone boss Callum Davidson isn’t ruling out the possibility of on-loan Celtic man Adam Montgomery remaining past January.

The 20-year-old joined the McDiarmid Park side in the summer, making a temporary move from the Hoops for an initial six-month spell.

And it has been a solid spell for the youngster working under Davidson, having made 16 appearances across all competitions for the Saints.

Montgomery’s time at St Johnstone is approaching its end, after only signing for the Perth side due to the early injury crisis they suffered before the season got underway.

However, the Celtic academy prospect appears to have made an impact on the side, with Callum Davidson refusing to rule out the possibility of him staying past January.

The Saints boss revealed that regular conversations have taken place with John Kennedy, discussing the youngster’s progress. However, talks are yet to take place regarding his short-term future.

Davidson was full of praise as he talked up Montgomery’s attitude and insisted he has a big future in the game.

He said [The Courier]: “I wouldn’t rule it out is probably the best phrase to use. Adam has performed well, which I’m really pleased about. He’s got better and better.

“We’ve got Callum (Booth) coming back – hopefully, he’ll play his first 90 minutes (in a midweek closed-doors game), and we’ve got Tony (Gallacher) back as well. So we are quite strong in the area.

“We need to assess everything, see where we are with each player and make a decision after that – and obviously speak to Celtic because it might be a ‘no’ anyway.”

“I’ve spoken to John (Celtic assistant manager, John Kennedy). They’ve been happy and just let us get on with it, really. He’s played games. We’d have had more phone calls if he hadn’t been playing.

“Adam’s managed to pick himself for the team because of his performances. It’s not me playing him because he’s a Celtic player.

“His attitude in training and around the place has been first class. The young man has got a big future. Hopefully, he’ll go far.

“There’s obviously a conversation we’ll need to have. We haven’t spoken to them before the game this week. It’s something we can speak about after and see where we are about it.”

Important next steps for Montgomery set to be discussed.

As mentioned, Adam Montgomery has clearly left a good impression on Davidson and his St Johnstone teammates. So the ideal move sounds as though it would be to extend his loan until the end of the season.

However, with Davidson confirming that two senior left-backs are on their way back from injury, this may massively impact the youngsters playing time.

At this age, it is crucial that a player like Montgomery is consistently playing, and that has the big positive of his move to St Johnstone.

Of course, playing time should never be guaranteed, and our loan players should have to fight for their place. But with three other left-sided options at McDiarmid Park, it is definitely going to impact his game time.

So, Celtic have a decision on their hands. Do they try to keep Montgomery where he is, in a settled environment or pick a loan move to get regular minutes once again?

Only time will tell.

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