9-year Celtic spell set to end as Bhoys agree fee and add-ons for back-up

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Celtic goalkeeper Conor Hazard is heading for a permanent exit from the club nine years after his arrival in 2014.

Hazard joined as a 16-year-old full of potential from Cliftonville and progressed through the academy ranks before becoming a backup option at senior level.

His biggest chance of a sustained breakthrough came during the ill-fated 2020/21 season when Neil Lennon was left clamouring for alternative options to Vasilis Barkas and Scott Bain. He made six appearances in December and January, with his last showing coming in a 0-0 draw with Livingston.

Hazard has also had a series of loans in Scotland and abroad, featuring for Partick Thistle, Falkirk, Dundee and HJK Helsinki over the years. By far the most successful was in Finland last year when he won the title and was voted the division’s best goalkeeper. At the end of the last transfer window, Hazard was said to have rejected a fresh loan move to Ross County.

The Daily Record reports that Celtic have now agreed a six-figure fee and add-on clauses with Plymouth Argyle, who are launching an assault on the English Championship next season after an impressive promotion last term.

Now 25, Hazard could definitely do with finding regular week-to-week football, especially after experiencing it at a decent level in 2022. A move to the Championship will be a good test of his ability, with little chance of getting a look-in at Celtic.

Joe Hart, Ben Siegrist and Scott Bain are all ahead of him in the shot-stopping order at the Bhoys, with reports suggesting Celtic are looking at bringing in another goalkeeper this summer. New manager Brendan Rodgers knows all about Hazard’s ability, having been the manager to promote him to the first-team squad initially in 2017/18.

Hazard will also be looking to play enough football to keep him in contention for Northern Ireland squads, for whom he has won three caps to date.

In other news, BBC pundit senses Celtic fringe player ‘resurrections’ under Brendan Rodgers.