On-loan Celtic goalkeeper Conor Hazard looks all set to return to Glasgow after HJK Helsinki brought their season to an end last week.
The 24-year-old joined the Finnish champions in January as he looked to earn regular first-team football after falling down the pecking order at Parkhead.
And Hazard quickly became the first choice at HJK, as he helped them secure back-to-back league title wins in Finland.
Alongside domestic football, the Northern Ireland international also played his part in earning a European group stage place this season.
After failing in Champions League qualification, HJK Helsinki were able to secure a place in the UEFA Europa League, where they took on AS Roma, Real Betis and Ludogorets.
Last Thursday evening, the Finnish side brought their campaign to a disappointing end, as they suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat to Betis in Spain and finished bottom of their group on just one point.
Their trip to Seville marked the final game of the season as a whole, with the domestic league running from April to October.
Having made 39 appearances and keeping 14 clean sheets at HJK Helsinki, that also brings to an end Conor Hazard’s spell and the goalkeeper now looks set to return to his parent club in Glasgow.
Now, both the player and club must decide what the next step for the shot-stopper is as we approach the January transfer window.
Decision-making time for Hazard and Celtic as goalkeeper prepares to enter final months of Parkhead deal.
Although Hazard has made a handful of appearances at Celtic, this experience out in Finland with HJK Helsinki will have been the most valuable spell of his short career.
The academy prospect has already had several loan moves in Scotland with Partick Thistle, Falkirk and Dundee. But this opportunity allowed Hazard to experience the demands at a club that expect to win titles and play for an entire season on a consistent basis.
After a busy 2022, you would imagine that the goalkeeper will be afforded some time off. However, upon his return to Glasgow from his ‘year-long’ loan, talks are likely to take place regarding his future.
The arrival of Ben Siegrist in the summer has put the capped international even further down the pecking order at the club. So he also has a decision to make regarding his short-term future playing first-team football.
When you consider that Hazard is approaching the final six months of his contract, it all points towards an inevitable exit in the coming months.
After earning supporters player of the year out in Finland, it would suggest that Hazard would be welcomed back at HJK if they make their move once again.
So, it should be interesting to see the decision that the Lennoxtown academy graduate comes to in the next few weeks and months as he prepares to return to the club from a successful loan spell.
In other news, Harry Kewell reveals the vital turning point for Celtic summer signing.
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