One tweet on Monday afternoon gave Celtic fans plenty to think over.
Alongside a picture of Liam Shaw the question of who is Celtic’s most forgotten signing was asked.
In February 2021 in the final act of the Lennon & Lawwell Recruitment Team it was announced that the Sheffield Wednesday midfielder had signed a pre-contract agreement with a four year contract following in the summer. A week or so later Lennon resigned, being generous four months too late.
What the plan was for Shaw was unknown. Even with Scott Brown, Olivier Ntcham and Ryan Christie about to leave there was no place for the former Championship midfielder.
With extremely limited options Ange Postecoglou stuck with Callum McGregor, David Turnbull and Tom Rogic as his midfield trio. Nir Bitton and James McCarthy were for emergency use but there was no place for Shaw, a victim of the previous recruitment regime.
This guy has got to be our most forgotten signing of all time pic.twitter.com/IEDwyyy8Oc
— ? (@smn___67) March 13, 2023
Shaw did make a favourable impression in the Europa League dead rubber against Real Betis but by then Ange Postecoglou was well down the road to recruiting Reo Hatate and Matt O’Riley for the second half of the season.
A loan spell at Motherwell never really worked out although he did play a role in getting a 2-2 draw at Ibrox, this season he has dropped down to the League One relegation battle with Morecambe.
Shaw has been playing regular in the Morecambe side but a quiet Celtic exit for an undisclosed fee is expected with two years still to run on his hoops contract.
Lawwell’s final years as CEO were littered with bizarre signings- from Calton Cole and Colin Kazim Richards through to projects like Michael Duffy, Shaw and Holmbert Fridjonsson plus many many more.
Vasilis Barkas, Albian Ajeti and Ismaila Soro will all return in the summer with Michael Nicholson left to clear up the final acts of his mentors time running the club.
still young, getting game time for Morecambe watch this space he will lift the champions league trophy in a Celtic shirt
— benzy murphy (@benzy67_) March 13, 2023
Literally best player against betis
— Ethan_iel (@ethan_iel) March 14, 2023
When you see in hindsight, what Ange has done in his ( nearly ) two years here , it makes you wonder what the hell Liewell was on , making those signings I think he must be the main dealer / user of Deludemol, then selling it on to the zombies .
Why has he EVER been allowed back into the club ?
the signings were meant for celtic to fail the ten , along with lennon who had no answer to the rag dolling sevco gave him in the cup , only for foster to save the day , the following week sevco inflicted the same rag dolling on lennon who was clueless not making any tactical change in the game except for bringing on a striker when celtic didn’t even cross the half way line , not to mention the statue barkas ,
Maybe Lawwell thought he was Jock stein, in his own mind, like!