Brendan Rodgers last night confirmed that Greg Taylor is likely to be leaving Celtic at the end of the season.
Out of contract in the summer, the former Kilmarnock player hasn’t played since February 22 against Hibs with Jeffrey Schlupp taking his left-back spot.
Celtic have confirmed that Kieran Tierney is returning to the club in June. With Schlupp only on loan until then, Rodgers hasn’t given up all hope that Taylor could yet remain but concedes that’s now unlikely.
‘Obviously we know we’ve got Kieran coming in the summer who is high level,’ Rodgers said after a 3-0 win over Hearts. ‘We know we’ll need to have someone else if Greg moves on.
‘My idea was always to keep Greg and it still is. I’ve been in this position so many times and I can read situations. It’s probably more likely now that Greg will move on than stay, which is a big shame for me because I love him as a person and I love his game because it’s suited to how we work.
‘It’s not financial, but I respect his position because he wants to feel he’ll play every week.
Taylor has fallen out of favour at Celtic since the January arrival of Jeffrey Schlupp
The 27-year-old is set to move on in the summer as he looks for regular first-team football
‘Whoever is in next year with Kieran will still play a lot of games but my feeling is that Greg may well move on. I know between now and the end of the season he’ll give his all.’
Rodgers says the sparkling form on Daizen Maeda means he’s more likely to be looking to recruit a winger now in the close season rather than another forward.
The Japanese took his tally for the season to 30 with a double against Hearts with Jota also netting as Celtic raced into a three-goal half-time lead.
Asked if he now viewed Maeda more as a striker, Rodgers said: ‘I think he can be. I think it’s one where if we were to move him back onto the side and take him out of the middle – with all due respect – it’s probably easier for us to bring in a top winger than it would be a top striker.
‘But he can clearly play the position and I am so happy that he can.’
Rodgers admits he’s running out of superlatives for the season Maeda is having.
‘It’s not bad for someone who isn’t supposedly a goalscorer,’ he smiled. ‘I just think whoever he plays, he’s so honest to the game.
‘If he’s on the side he’s pressing and getting in behind looking to cross. If he’s through the middle then he’s penetrating centrally. But I think what everyone is seeing now is his actual finishing quality.
‘There is also a variety in his finishing. He’s getting in to score his one-v-ones with left foot, right foot and headers. He’s got a real good repertoire of finishes.’
Rodgers was pleased with the response his players showed on the ball of a tough defeat to Rangers immediately before the international break
‘We needed to respond after our last home game here and it’s never easy coming back after the international break,’ he said. ‘We’ve had lots of players away with lots of travel.
Rodgers will welcome back Tierney, who he worked with in his first spell at Celtic
‘But I thought the connection of the team was very good, especially in the first-half with the three goals we scored outstanding. We were then able to control the second half.’
Rodgers confirmed that Kasper Schmeichel won’t require surgery on his injured shoulder.
‘We’ll know more on Monday,’ he added. ‘(Viljami) Sinisalo did well. He made a good save in the first half and was excellent.
‘I really like his authority. He’s a young keeper we felt could come in and have a season as an understudy learning from a top keeper with a top mentality – knowing he’d not play so much. And I’ve seen him grow from pre-season.
‘This was a big game for him against Hearts, but he made a save and will always take the ball. I’m really pleased for him getting the clean sheet.’
Meanwhile, Schlupp indicated he’d be willing to talk to Celtic about extending his stay in Glasgow.
The full-back will be out of contract at Leicester when his loan deal with Celtic expires this summer.
‘Yeah, I am loving it at the minute,’ he said. ‘Regarding next season, nothing has been spoken about. I am concentrating on this season, getting more minutes winning more games.
‘Everything is a possibility. I just focus on winning games and then hopefully I can finish off the season strongly.
‘I had to think seriously about coming here in the first place. Anything that happens in the summer will be a big decision for me. We will see what happens.’
Sinisalo gets the credit from team-mates after his clean sheet against Hearts
Hearts manager Neil Critchley says he’ll continue to set his side out to attack Celtic as they did from the outset at Parkhead.
Despite going down 3-0, the Hearts manager felt his side acquitted themselves well before going behind.
‘I don’t want the players to lose belief in who I want us to be,’ he said. ‘In my opinion, as a coach, you always have to protect or develop the traditions of the football club.
‘It’s always been built on going toe-to-toe, being on the front foot, being aggressive. We’ll learn from that.
‘I want us to be that team and get better at being the team we were in the first half and doing that for longer and doing it better and doing it against top opponents That’s what we’ve got to strive for.’
