Anyone who watched Jack Hendry in a Celtic shirt over the last couple of years knows what fear feels like.
In the Green and White, the former Dundee and Wigan Athletic centre-back rarely exuded confidence. He has been compared to a “giraffe on roller skates” and described as “simply not a footballer” while wearing the Hoops.
From my own perspective, I don’t think I’ve ever been as nervous watching Celtic as when the young defender was in possession.
Against AEK Athens, in a vital Champions League qualifier, Hendry felt the brunt of the fans’ ire, as Celtic failed to qualify once again. Throughout his time at Celtic, he became a poster boy for the defensive frailties in Europe under Rodgers.
His positioning, first touch and passing always seemed so hurried and inconsistent. It became clear pretty quickly in his time at Celtic Park that he’d either have to improve rapidly, or move on.
Move on, he did. Two loans away from Celtic have yielded mixed results. In 2020, he was sent to Melbourne City, where he almost was seriously injured almost immediately (BBC). However, his spell at Oostende has earned rave reviews (Daily Record).
With Shane Duffy, Kristoffer Ajer and co. shipping goals at an alarming rate, is there a realistic chance Hendry could return? If Jack Hendry is the answer, does it require further examination of the question?
There’s no question he’d be interested
Speaking to Glasgow Live yesterday, Hendry refused to close the door on his Celtic career.
Oostende have the option to buy the defender outright for £1.75m. Any permanent move, however, is contingent on Hendry’s personal feelings on the matter.
The defender said:
“I don’t know, I’m here for a year so there is still a bit of time before I would go back, if I did go back. It’s something you’d have to ask the gaffer.
“Those things outwith my control but all I need to do is continue to play well and at a good level and if I do then those things will take care of itself. I need to perform on the pitch for those things to be talked about anyway.”
Hendry believes Neil Lennon and his team will turn things around.
“It’s unfortunate Celtic have picked up a few defeats recently, but I’m sure the boys in that set up will turn it around.
“I believe in them, they are all good players and from when I’ve been at the club, I couldn’t speak highly enough of them. They are all top European players and they’re just going through a bad moment just now.
“They’ve won nine titles in a row, so they’ve deserved that, and they’ve broken some unbelievable records which haven’t been done in world football before.”
A good option for the Bhoys?
Jullien and Ajer are so clearly out of form, and Shane Duffy has been a disaster. It’s natural, then, that the press have looked to our on-loan players, including Hendry.
But is he good enough to even get in this Celtic team? A Celtic team which ranks worst for goals conceded in European competition (Sun)?
It might sound remarkably harsh, but no. I don’t think he could improve this Celtic team.
The Belgian league is a good level, and you won’t find any “farmers” or “pub league” chat from us. Even then, it’s hard to see Hendry as a Europa League-level talent.
Most of the problems Celtic have had at the back have been about communication, composure and shape. These are precisely the flaws in Hendry’s game.
If Irish international Shane Duffy looks amateurish in this Celtic defence, then Hendry stands even less of a chance. I really genuinely hope he goes on to have a great career.
But any talk of the 25-year-old making an impact at Celtic again feels like revisionism. The sad truth of it is that most Celtic fans either didn’t bat an eyelid or openly celebrated when he left.
For the good of Jack Hendry, I hope his stellar time in Oostende carries on. He has a Scotland cap, and time’s on his side. His time with Celtic, however, is most probably done.
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