Celtic goalkeeper Ryan Mullen joins Cove on loan; Paul Hartley sings his praises

By Hamish Carton

September 25, 2020

Young Celtic goalkeeper Ryan Mullen has left the club on a season-long loan to Cove Rangers.

The 19-year-old shot-stopper, who signed a new three-year deal back in May, has joined the former Highland League side who now find themselves in League One.

Mullen will play under Paul Hartley this season, and the former Hoops midfielder has had some positive things to say about his new recruit.

“We are grateful to Celtic for giving us the opportunity to work with Ryan,” Hartley told Cove’s official website.

Hartley in his Celtic days / (Photo by AMA/Corbis via Getty Images)

“He is one of the most talented young Scottish goalkeepers in the game and joining us gives him the chance to push his career on a bit.

“It will be good for us to have Ryan competing with Stuart McKenzie for a starting place. Ryan will also benefit from working alongside Stuart and our new goalkeeping coach Alan Combe.

“We are very happy to get Ryan on board as we continue our build-up to the new season.”

Mullen is joining a club on the up

Cove were 13 points clear at the top of League Two when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March.

They won 22 of their 28 league matches, drawing 2 and losing 4.

Despite stepping up a division this season, and facing the likes of Partick Thistle and Falkirk, many think that Cove will be genuine title contenders once again.

Ryan Mullen in action for Scotland’s under-19s / (Photo by Lukasz Sobala/PressFocus/MB Media/Getty Images)

Mullen’s name is one that hasn’t really be mentioned much by fans in recent seasons.

The slightly older pair of Conor Hazard and Ross Doohan – both 22 – have been seen as possible future number ones.

But perhaps Mullen could be the real star who’s ready to stake a claim for a first-team place in the coming years.

David Marshall remains the last academy goalkeeper to really make it at the club, and that was the best part of two decades ago.

We wish Mullen all the best in his loan spell up in Aberdeen.

In other news, the boss of FK Sarajevo reckons his side’s game against Celtic is a historic encounter

Hamish Carton
Hamish Carton is a sports media professional with more than eight years of experience in the industry. Previously a football reporter for the Press Association, Hamish joined 67 Hail Hail to cover his beloved Celtic FC, the team he has supported all of his life. He is the face of the website’s YouTube channel and is responsible for planning, presenting and editing videos on the channel. He writes occasionally on the website and, just like Patrick, he is so in love with Ange Postecoglou that he's even written a book about his journey at Celtic.

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