Jonny Hayes hints that he knows he isn’t a Celtic starter

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Celtic winger Jonny Hayes’ game-time under Neil Lennon has certainly made him an important cog in the Parkhead machine.

Hayes has made 16 appearances this season under the Northern Irishman. 13 of those have come from the bench as he continues to be the club’s most used substitute this season (Transfermarkt).

But it’s fair to say that, since signing from Aberdeen in the summer of 2017, Hayes has never been part of our strongest XI. Instead, he’s gotten used to the role of Celtic utility man, and it appears to be something he enjoys too.

Speaking in the Scottish Sun, Hayes says he knows he isn’t going to play every week, and that he’s just grateful to be playing football again after a horror-injury last season.

“I knew when I signed here I was going to be in and out sometimes. I know how the squad works but I won’t be complaining.

“I’ve cherished every minute I’ve had on the pitch since I got a bad injury. I’m always there when the manager calls.

“I probably found it a little hard to adapt at first and I spoke about it with Brendan Rodgers. He was keen for me to keep doing the same as I had been at Aberdeen. I managed to get my head wrapped around it and I’ve tried to play my own game within the team.”

Hayes has held his own at Celtic

There were plenty of question marks over Hayes’ ability to step up from the challenge at Aberdeen to the pressures of playing for Celtic.

However, over the course of his over-two years in Glasgow, he’s proven his worth. Not as a part of our strongest XI, but as a reliable deputy for when his manager needs him.

Over the past week alone, he’s proven just how worthwhile it is having him around. It was Hayes’ cross that saw Richard Tait fire into his own net against Motherwell yesterday. On Thursday night against Lazio, meanwhile, Hayes didn’t look out of place.

Interestingly, his contract is coming to an end once the season is over. If Hayes can keep up these sort of performance levels, you have to imagine a new deal could be coming his way.

So far, it’s been Jonny’s most productive season yet at Parkhead. He has the trust of many in the fanbase as well as his manager. Everything is going smoothly for him.

And for us, he’s a dream considering he knows how things work here. He understands he isn’t a regular starter, and it’s something the player himself is clearly at peace with. That’s something Lennon won’t be taking for granted.