Celtic target was once dubbed the ‘Portobello Pirlo’, he could be a Lennon Miller alternative

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Celtic are on the hunt for players this summer and midfield seems like one of the sought-after positions.

Kieran Tierney has already returned to Celtic and Brendan Rodgers wants a striker to ensure that his Hoops dream XI can be completed when the summer transfer window shuts.

Lennon Miller has constantly been linked with a move to Parkhead and although Ross McCormack hinted Miller would be going elsewhere, it’s a rumour that won’t go away.

We at 67 Hail Hail have also revealed that Andy Irving is being monitored by Celtic after Graham Potter supposedly told the 25-year-old that he wouldn’t feature in his plans.

With Irving also wanted by Hearts, the promise of European football at Celtic could entice him to come to Glasgow and he may prove to be a great alternative to Miller.

• READ MORE: Forget Evan Ferguson, Celtic should capitalise on another Premier League striker’s contract situation

Andy Irving was once called the ‘Portobello Pirlo’

Irving is at West Ham after signing from Austria Klagenfurt in Austria’s top flight. Game time has been limited and a return north of the border for the Scotland international has been mooted.

Having come through the youth ranks at Hearts, heading back to Tynecastle would be a romantic move.

It’s also where he earned his famous nickname of the ‘Portobello Pirlo’, as revealed on the West Ham club website.

They wrote: “From his very first days in the sport, the Edinburgh-born midfielder has repeatedly had to prove people wrong, and frequently overcome barriers and hurdles in his path.

At Tynecastle with Heart of Midlothian, they called him the ‘Portobello Pirlo’. The reference point – a high school and seaside Edinburgh suburb rather than a market in London – spoke to Irving’s precocious talent.”

How do Andy Irving and Lennon Miller compare?

Irving may be the older of the two but it feels like Miller is already far more experienced than him in every way.

Both have the same number of Scotland caps, despite a seven-year age difference between the two and aside from the West Ham midfielder’s pass completion rate, it’s clear to see who triumphs in every metric.

Miller may cost more than what the Hoops would be willing to pay now but, if they got a deal done and he stayed for years to come, it’s money well spent.