Former Celtic midfielder Liam Henderson continues Italian adventure with Empoli

By Euan Davidson

August 11, 2021

Former Celtic midfielder Liam Henderson has joined another Italian club, with Empoli becoming his latest destination.

Henderson is getting another crack at Serie A with Gli Azzurri, moving from Lecce [Empoli FC]. It’s his second spell with Empoli, having joined on loan at the latter end of the 19-20 season.

Henderson, once a Norwegian champion with Rosenborg, had been tipped for big things at Celtic. He can boast 5 Scottish Premiership medals for his efforts with the Bhoys, where he came through as a youngster.

However, his career has taken an exciting, if nomadic turn in Italy. Clearly a player in high demand, he’s played for Bari, Hellas Verona and Lecce, with Empoli becoming his fourth Italian club. He was also part of a famous Scottish Cup victory with Hibernian, on loan from Celtic.

After having made nearly 100 Serie B appearances [Transfermarkt], Henderson is keen to make a dent on the top tier.

Henderson is part of an aggressive summer of recruitment for Empoli. The club have brought in no less than 10 new players, with an eye on Serie A survival in 21-22.

Seeing former Celtic players like Liam Henderson thrive abroad is more than welcome

While plenty of former Celtic players have fine careers in Scotland and England, it’s exciting to see lads like Liam Henderson having a pop at the best Italy has to offer with Empoli.

While there’s frustration in the way Celtic lost Aaron Hickey, now of Bologna, we don’t often get to see Scottish players plying their trade abroad. Let alone Celtic players.

Aiden McGeady at Spartak Moscow and Cillian Sheridan across a number of countries have been the main examples that come to mind. Both players are now nearer to where they started; Sheridan travelled with Dundee for Celtic’s 6-0 win at the weekend.

At the same time as Liam Henderson moving on, it’s interesting to consider what will become of his younger brother, Ewan. While he looked more than capable in pre-season, Ewan Henderson doesn’t seem to be in the picture at Celtic so far this campaign.

Could another loan be in Ewan Henderson’s future? A spell at Dunfermline Athletic in 20-21 showed his creative abilities, and it’s not hard to imagine a similar kind of temporary move happening in the near future.

Or, just maybe, he’ll be casting an eye on mainland Europe. If he fancied an Italian job, he has a reliable tour guide to rely on.

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