Former Celtic flop Scott Allan’s comment wide of the mark

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As you would expect, former Celtic midfielder Scott Allan’s game-time at Hibs has certainly been an improvement on his Parkhead days.

Allan spent five years contracted to the Bhoys, yet was farmed out to the likes of Rotherham, Dundee, and Hibs respectively. During that period, he managed 17 appearances for Celtic before departing in the summer for Leith on a permanent basis as his contract came to an end (Transfermarkt).

This season, he’s been a constant in both Paul Heckingbottom and Jack Ross’ Hibernian sides. And Allan spoke in comments published by the Daily Record over the weekend about how Hibs have been the only club to give him a “fair run of games”. Here are his exact comments below:

“It’s definitely the most settled I’ve been in a good few years. The fact I’m playing football every week and have a good association with the club is just brilliant for me. It’s the only place I’ve been given a fair run of games to produce my best football.”

An unfair impression on Celtic

You can make your own mind up as to why Celtic signed Allan. However, the truth is he was simply not as good as the players playing ahead of him at Parkhead.

There is no way that Ronny Deila, Brendan Rodgers, and Neil Lennon all mistakingly failed to select him regularly. Allan found himself behind the likes of Scott Brown, Stefan Johansen, Callum McGregor, and Olivier Ntcham to name only a few. You can’t honestly justify playing him in front of any of those players.

Also, it may have escaped Scott’s memory, but he did indeed have a chance to impress in the 2015/16 campaign. Deila gave Allan a run of 10 appearances in 13 games. That season overall he played on 17 occasions (Transfermarkt). The fact that it wasn’t memorable tells you a lot about it.

Allan is an inventor, yet at Celtic he only managed to make four assists in his 17 appearances. It just wasn’t enough to warrant further game-time in the later seasons.

When Rodgers came in, the club went to a different level. Again, you can’t justify playing Allan over the likes of Stuart Armstrong or McGregor during the 2016/17 campaign. Since then the club has gone on to secure a treble-treble.

Sure, you can say that Allan could’ve been given another game or two here and there. However, the fact is he had his chance to impress at Celtic and didn’t take it. The Hoops, despite the fact signing Allan is there to be criticised, can’t be pulled up for not giving him his chance.