Tony Watt trained with the Celtic first team today ahead of tomorrow’s match with Partick Thistle.
On Saturday Neil Lennon was quoted as suggesting that he felt it would be in the his best interests to return to Lierse after their winter break but it now seems that the hoops boss is close to changing his mind.
Watt was scheduled to return to Belgium next weekend but that looks unlikely as Lennon welcomes the 20-year-old back into the Celtic fold.
Despite various inaccurate claims about Watt’s training habits his dedication has been highlighted by his appearance today.
Whether he will be eligible to be involved tomorrow against Thistle remains to be seen with the registration department of the SFA still containing members of staff who were involved in the Jorge Cadette incident in 1996.
Lennon has gone on record with his desire to add a proven goalscorer to his squad with Teemu Pukki and Amido Balde yet to make their mark on the team.
CLICK HERE for picture of Watt in training
Hopes of signing Heerenveen striker Alfred Finnbogasson appear to be over with the Icelandic striker likely to remain in Holland until the end of the season.
Watt has had a colourful time on loan to Lierse but signed off with a double strike against Mechelen in the St Stephens Day derby and was given a great ovation by the Lierse fans.
With the January transfer market notoriously difficult to operate it looks increasingly likely that Watt will be given another chance at Celtic teaming up with Anthony Stokes in attack.
Icelandic youngster Holmbert Aron Fridjonsson is available tomorrow but will have to wait for Celtic’s trip to Turkey next week before he gets the chance to impress Lennon.
Time for a bit of man management with young tony watt,get the bhoy right in the head as there’s no doubt he’s a better player than the rest of our strikers
On what evidence might I ask do you base this opinion?
On the evidence that the rest of our strikers are shit…
What a convincing argument!
I stand corrected.
Patrick,
How can you defend our strikers ?
Chris Commons puts them to shame
with 15 goals.
Sammi,Stokes,Pukki and Balde have
not exactly lit the heather alight this
season.
Given his chance,TW could claim a
striker’s role,by banging in the goals.
Im not looking to argue with,or convince you.im stating a fact that the strikers we have are pants…simple
If he gets a chance tomorrow….then he’s one lucky young man….
He has done his image no good at all recently….needs to sort himself out….quick time.
There are youngsters who I’d play before him….
And..IMO he won’t figure…
Happy New Year Joe….and all your readers as well…
Hail hail
It’s Pukki that needs to go on loan to Lierse & take Samaras with him!
Would love to see Tony get a chance again but only if he starts to show some self respect & to his manager!
Would give Balde a game from the start tomorrow! HH!
Guy is a natural goalscirer. If we can sort his napper out we wont need another Pukki.
Have a good New Year Joe &family h h the mccarthys
as he has only just turned 20 we should give him another chance and hopefully between neil and his family he will realise that faraway fields look green but they are just as green close to home
I think there seems to be an exaggeration as to the wee man’s psychological well being, he’s hardly Balotelli! I would suggest that he’s been exposed to the limelight earlier than his level of maturity, was ready for? By all accounts, he doesn’t apply himself as he should in training. But if the two goals he scored against Mechelen, are indicative of his current ability, then I would stick him in the team now. If only for the fact that I don’t see us signing a proven goalscorer, with a view to hitting the ground running before the CL qualifiers. H×2
Last chance to make the grade with the bhoys ?
A clean slate for everyone,draw a line in the sand and lets all move forward,
happy new year to all hoops
Give the Bhoy a chance he is young and it’s hard for Tony being so far from home at an early age the Celtic family need to get behind him can be great for us
Joe,
Like your line staff at sfa from cadette days. Classic.
It suits Neil and Peter Lawwell to bring
Tony back.He plays and scores,no need to
buy a striker as Tony’s the answer.
If our woeful strikers had been firing, does
anybody think Neil would have bothered
his backside with Tony ? NO.
The cheapest of cheap options.
But, nothing against Tony, as I want him
in the team.As he is direct and knows the
way to goal,unlike our present strikers.
Cadette was signed in 1996 not 1995. If we’re asking for attention to detail from the SFA we should be at the same standard 😉
All the best for 2014
That honest mistake has been corrected.
Maybe it went on that long because he was supposed to sign in 95 but wee Jimmy Farry held it up a year longer than we thought! 🙂
Sorry “coaches who have came into contact with him” although I dear say part of his problem might be he’s been on a COUCH too often.
hail hail
nothing to do with the SFA at this point. Celtic can’t just decide to recall him from an international loan, we only have that right on domestic loan arrangements. If Celtic and Lierse were to agree a termination of the loan his registration would then be subject to international clearance being received from the Belgian FA.
Got all the tools.
Over to you Tony!
Just heard we are going for the ‘thumb’
aka lee griffiths.
From Zlatan to the Thumb.It would be a difficult choice to make.
Has the son off dallas been booted out the referee ring If corruption yet. How Can he forget to report a booking .