With Celtic in Wales for their pre-season training camp this week, there are several players likely to be involved that we didn’t think we’d see again.
Whether it be to off-field antics, a lack of quality, or a desire to leave – we have a group who appeared certain to be leaving for good over the last 12 months in particular.
Celtic will take on two friendly tasks in Wales. On Wednesday July 7th, we’ll take on Sheffield Wednesday before a game against Charlton Athletic three games later.
And below, we list the four players who could now take part that looked to be totally out of the equation last season:
1. Anthony Ralston
Next to nobody amongst the Celtic support was overly-enamoured when Anthony Ralston was given a one-year extension to his contract.
It slapped of desperation. As if he was only kept on because we had no other senior alternative at right-back. And if truth be told, Celtic fans would rather see the likes of Osaze Urhoghide and Lee O’Connor.
Nothing against Ralston, but he’s had his chances in the past and he’s failed to take him. He broke through under Brendan Rodgers back in 2017, but he simply hasn’t kicked on since. His year-long extension looks like it’ll end in inevitable fashion, with Anthony leaving the club and seeking a move elsewhere.
He’s had his loan spells too. Celtic tried to offload him to the likes of Dundee United and St Johnstone in a bid to make him a more complete full-back by achieving regular senior minutes. Not too surprisingly, it didn’t work out.
But he’ll be in Wales and he’ll certainly get some minutes. Who could’ve seen that this time last year?
2. Boli Bolingoli
If everything worked out from the moment we sent Boli Bolingoli out on loan last year, he wouldn’t be anywhere near this season’s training camp.
Boli’s breach of public health guidelines in the middle of a pandemic remain unforgivable. It was so toxic that last year the Hoops moved him on. The Belgian was sent on loan to Istanbul Basaksehir in Turkey with an option-to-buy clause.
It looked for long spells last season as if we would never see him again. He was playing regularly and performing well during the first half of the campaign, even bagging Champions League experience to boot.
Unfortunately, a knee injury led to him needing surgery, and subsequently kept him out of action for four months. He returned for the final month of the season and helped Istanbul to stay up. But they refused to activate the option to buy clause and he’s now back at Celtic Park.
Heading into this week’s two fixtures, Celtic only have Greg Taylor and Boli on the books as things stand. That means he’s certain to feature at some stage as we incredibly get set to see Boli wearing green-and-white again.
3. Marian Shved
It’s not so much that Celtic fans didn’t want to see a renaissance from Marian Shved this season. But the player, if comments from Belgium are true, doesn’t seem to want it.
Shved was sent on loan to KV Mechelen last summer with Neil Lennon refusing to put faith in him. After a slow start, the Ukrainian started to rediscover his creative touch once more. He was a regular in the final few months of the season, and Mechelen are keen to have him back. Shved, meanwhile, is “eager” to return [HLN].
Unfortunately for the winger, he won’t be getting that opportunity anytime soon. Celtic don’t have the cover at right-mid just now to allow Marian to depart. With only the untested Karamoko Dembele behind James Forrest, Celtic all of a sudden could do with seeing what Marian has to offer.
The fact he’s in Wales with the first-team squad is a promising sign for him. Forrest certainly won’t be playing 180 minutes before the trip ends on July 14th. Shved, you have to imagine, will be first in line as back-up.
Celtic fans, finally, are going to see what the former Karpaty Lviv man has to offer. This is his golden opportunity, but he has to want it.
In other news, we look at three burning Celtic questions that will be answered in Wales.
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