I’ll tell that story one day- former Scotland striker teases over his near miss Celtic signing moment

After 13 years south of the border Steven Fletcher has finally returned to Scotland- but not to Celtic. 

As part of the exciting young Hibs generation that produced Scott Brown and Derek Riordan he was strongly linked with a move to Celtic in January 2009. 

Gordon Strachan wanted more goals to help Scott McDonald and Jan Vennegoor towards a fourth successive title but Peter Lawwell presented his manager with Willo Flood as the hoops supremo lost out to Hibs counterpart Rod Petrie. 

Fletcher moved to Burnley for £3m, they doubled their money a year later when he moved to Wolves before the striker became the most expensive ever Scottish player when he joined Sunderland for £12m in August 2012. A total spend of over £20m over three years. 

With his career having peeked Fletcher was available as a free agent in the summer of 2020. Celtic were looking for back up goalpower to Odsonne Edouard but their interest in Fletcher fizzled out with Stoke City offering a two year deal. 

Last week the 35-year-old joined Dundee United, reflecting on his Celtic near misses he told The Scotsman: 

Earlier on in my career when I was linked with Celtic I didn’t have much to do with it. At that age you just leave it to agents and all that, only finding things out when they’re pretty much done. 

So I don’t know how close it came in the early ones, but before I signed for Stoke was the closest it came. It didn’t happen in the end and I’ll tell that story one day!

But I was linked with Celtic a lot over the years – so much I think the Celtic fans were sick of hearing about it. 

Celtic fans will get a look at Fletcher on August 28 when the hoops visit Tannadice in the fifth SPFL match of the season.