Ewan Henderson explains why he had to leave Celtic for Hibernian

By David Walton

January 6, 2022

Ewan Henderson has explained why he has had to leave Celtic for Hibernian as he admitted he was grateful for the role the Hoops have played in his career.

Henderson today completed a loan deal with the Easter Road club until the end of the season. However, with his contract up in the summer, it’s highly unlikely we’ll see him back in a Celtic jersey again.

The 21-year-old midfielder leaves having only managed 11 appearances in his Celtic career and just 19 minutes of football this season [Transfermarkt].

After coming through the Lennoxtown youth ranks, Ewan will always appreciate the platform Celtic provided him with. But as he spoke to Hibs TV after his Easter Road switch was confirmed, he explained why he felt he needed to move on:

“The interest actually came after I came on and scored against Real Betis. My agent phoned me that night to tell me that Hibs were interested. Obviously, at that point, a new manager hadn’t been announced, so I decided to wait and see. As soon as I saw it was Shaun Maloney, I was like one-million percent let’s get this done!

“Shaun is a big influence on why I’ve chosen Hibs. When I worked with him at Celtic, he was a top manager and he made me a better player. I’d say he has had a big influence on my career from an early age. The way he sees football, it made me look at football a completely different way than I did before, and he was a big reason that I made the step up to the Celtic First Team.

“I’ll always be grateful to Celtic for the opportunity they gave me but I think Hibs is just the perfect place for me. It’s a massive club and the fanbase is unbelievable. I was there when they won the Scottish Cup in 2016 so I know how much it means to the fans. Everything about the club and the way it’s run is perfect for me.”

Ewan Henderson to Hibs – a deal that works for all parties

Everyone wins here. Celtic get a player off the wage bill who unfortunately just wasn’t part of the first-team plans at Parkhead. Postecoglou may have given him a runout against Betis, but this move is confirmation he didn’t think Ewan was of the standard required.

You then have how big a coup this is for Hibs. They’re getting one of Scottish football’s most exciting talents as far as I’m concerned. Technically efficient and with experience on loan at Ross County and Dunfermline, Henderson just needs a club to invest some faith into him.

As for Henderson, what a project to be stepping into after leaving Celtic. To be joining up with Shaun Maloney and at a club that has aspirations to be competing at the top end of the Premiership, this is a brilliant move for the midfielder’s career.

It’s a shame to an extent because Henderson has never really disappointed as a Celtic player. He’s always tended to impress supporters with his energy and drive in the final third. But he’s never managed a sustained run of games.

For the likes of Ange and Neil Lennon before him, it’s been difficult to justify playing Ewan ahead of the likes of Tom Rogic and David Turnbull.

Hopefully, he can take his career to new heights as he opens up his new chapter. He’ll certainly have the support of many Celtic supporters.

In other news, Report: Celtic could look to send potential new signing out on loan immediately