Talented ex-Swiss U21 int'l delivers update after summer Celtic speculation

By David Walton

November 10, 2021

Benjamin Siegrist has admitted that he’s happy at Dundee United amid contract talks after speculation over a potential summer move to Celtic.

Back in January, Swiss outlet Blick reported that the Hoops had scouted the Swiss stopper ahead of him entering the final 12 months of his Tannadice deal. The goalkeeper then stated during the summer that he would be open to any interest from Parkhead [Daily Record].

In the end, Celtic moved for Joe Hart whilst Siegrist remained on Tayside. With 7 clean sheets in 15 appearances however, his stock certainly hasn’t lessened.

But as he continues contract talks with his current cloub, the former Swiss U21 international has confirmed his happiness in the City of Discovery.

As quoted by the Record, Siegrist said: “I feel happy and I hope people see that I’m happy here. I hope that reflects in my performances. I try to lead by example. Things are going great, I am happy to be part of it and to be fully engaged.

“I just love to play football, I like to come in, do my work and go home to watch more football.”

Benjamin Siegrist not pushing for Dundee United departure; Celtic could do worse

Over the last 12 months, Siegrist has proven himself to be a more reliable and capable shotstopper than Vasilis Barkas and Scott Bain respectively. He would be a solid back-up option to Hart, and it remains a surprise that Celtic haven’t made their move for him.

There doesn’t appear to be any rush from the Hoops either. There’s also no guarantee Ange Postecoglou is even a fan of the goalkeeper. After all, the links with Siegrist all came before the Greek-Australian was appointed in the summer.

But surely the Celtic boss will be the first to admit he needs better options in between the sticks. Barkas and Bain have already cost us this season in big European games. They can’t be relied upon for when Hart inevitably picks up an injury somewhere down the line.

Siegrist, however, is the kind of player that would thrive as a number 2. Whether that’s something the would be interested in is anyone’s guess, but it would likely be his last chance to sign for a big club at 29. He won’t do better than Celtic if he gets the opportunity to pitch up in Glasgow.

For now, Celtic’s name continues to be far away from the speculation. And that’s pretty clear in the way Siegrist comes across too. He’s a player who seems as though he would jump if better terms were offered elsewhere. However, as things stand, he doesn’t seem to have a better deal on the table anywhere.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Hoops revisit this in the coming weeks. Chances are, however, that we’re quite happy with the options we have…even if we shouldn’t be.

In other news, Why Celtic loanee Leigh Griffiths was dropped by Dundee