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The ability to be versatile and change position is becoming more of a regular commodity in football and that can certainly be applied to Celtic.

Just look at Hoops midfielder David Turnbull. The 21-year-old can play on the wing or through the middle as a playmaker.

Assess Ryan Christie too, another player to feature in central and wide positions. That being said, not many can play in defence and as a striker.

That’s the intriguing dynamic that sets a certain Adam Montgomery apart from the rest.

Once a centre-forward, the 18-year-old has transitioned into becoming a left-back courtesy of work at Lennoxtown with Darren O’Dea.

He has gone from being a self-professed “tricky” winger to someone who now has to withstand the relentless attacks of players who possess similar qualities.

Montgomery has had to learn a completely new trade but it’s clearly been game-changing in terms of his development.

With Odsonne Edouard the leading light in Celtic’s side, very rarely does he get usurped as their main striker. Behind him this season he has had Leigh Griffiths, Albian Ajeti and Patryk Klimala all scrambling for game time.

With that in mind, a first-team breakthrough for players like Cameron Harper and Armstrong Oko-Flex seemed farfetched. Harper has already left while the latter nearly joined Huddersfield in January, events that summed up what they thought about their prospects in Glasgow.

Montgomery, however, has been patient and willing to adapt. Now a defender, he appeared in a matchday squad at senior level for the first time when Celtic beat Aberdeen in February.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-howe-lampard-klimala-ajer-gossip” title= “Read the latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

The teenager has never played a minute for the first-team but he has now appeared among the substitutes on three occasions.

Considering his position change, he clearly has a lot of work to do before he makes it in men’s football. That being said, with the guidance and influence Montgomery has at his disposal, he’s set for a bright future.

There is a lot to like about the youngster, a player who judging by his attacking qualities, could be the club’s new Kieran Tierney.

The Scotland international departed for £25m in the summer of 2019 and Celtic will be regularly scanning their academy to find a suitable replacement.

In Montgomery, they have a very capable one. He is not first-team ready yet but he could be next season.

Speaking to the club’s official media channels, he revealed that Tierney has been a vision for where he wants to be: “100 percent. Him being here from a young age, breaking into the team as a full-back and now you look at him doing so well at Arsenal, he’s a player that I’ve really looked up to since I made that move to full-back myself.”

Having also sought council from Greg Taylor, Montgomery is doing all the right things to develop his game and become one of your typical modern-day full-backs. Advice from John Kennedy should also help too.

He was a major figure for Tierney when he first came through the ranks at Paradise.

Combine those elements with Diego Laxalt’s horror show against Rangers on Sunday and bringing through another left-back is certainly a good idea.

Montgomery is undoubtedly one to keep an eye on in the coming months.

AND in other news, Celtic manager hunt could move rapidly today after major behind-the-scenes development…

Many fans of Aston Villa have been reacting to a post on Twitter which relayed Marlon Harewood’s claim regarding Ollie Watkins’ chances of making the England squad for the European Championships.

Speaking recently to Football FanCast (via Birmingham Mail), the former Aston Villa striker stated that, while he wouldn’t completely rule out Watkins making Gareth Southgate’s squad this summer, he couldn’t see the 25-year-old being ahead of the majority of the high-calibre forwards who will be available for selection for the Euros.

Having only joined Villa from Brentford last summer, the £75,000 per week centre-forward has already impressed hugely during his short time at Villa Park, scoring 10 goals and providing three assists over his 27 Premier League appearances, as well as averaging a WhoScored match rating of 7.23 – ranking him as the club’s third-best performer in the top flight.

However, after Aston Villa News shared their report on Twitter, many fans of the club flocked to have their say on the matter, with plenty appearing to be in agreement with Harewood’s assessment of Watkins’ chances of featuring at the Euros this summer.

So, what exactly did these Aston Villa fans have to say in reaction to Marlon Harwood’s claim regarding Ollie Watkins?

“He’s not ready yet, because of the competition with the likes of Kane and DCL. But, if he carries on performing in the Prem, then in the future he should definitely be considered for a call-up.”

@HKerecsenyi

“As much as I like Ollie I don’t think he is at that level at the moment, Southgate would probably have better options at this point. UTV.”

@FabledSage

“No (and I’m a Villa fan) – put 20 goals in a season in the Premier League for a season or 2 then maybe. Kane, Calvert-Lewin, Vardy (if he was inclined to) all above him at the mo.”

@steve_chaplin1

“Not yet, needs another year in the Prem and can work towards the World Cup squad.”

@markyboy84

“Being honest, no.”

@Mrb47016877

“No. Long way to go.”

@LeeClarke26

“Don’t be daft.”

@headmond81

“Not yet he isn’t ready still has lots to learn.”

@starblind1988

In other news: Villa learn asking price for in-demand PL midfielder – find out more here! 

According to a report by Football Insider, Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers is a leading contender for the Tottenham Hotspur job if Jose Mourinho is sacked – with chairman Daniel Levy allegedly pinning him as a potential heir to the current Lilywhites manager. 

Indeed, nine years after he was Levy’s ‘preferred choice’ at Tottenham, it appears Rodgers is back into consideration as doubts continue to linger over Mourinho’s future in north London.

Levy eyeing Rodgers as potential Spurs managerial contender

A potential sack for the Portuguese boss has been mooted, and while it remains to be seen whether Tottenham will dismiss, Football Insider now claim that Rodgers is a leading candidate for the potential job opening.

Football Insider also reveal that Rodgers himself was very keen to join Spurs at one point, but Liverpool made a formal approach first and the Northern Irishman agreed to be appointed at the Anfield helm.

Harry Redknapp was given his marching orders a fortnight later by Tottenham with Levy turning to Andre Villas-Boas as a Rodgers alternative.

Now, it appears he is a leading candidate for the Spurs job once again should Mourinho be shown the door.

Transfer Tavern take

Former Arsenal attacker turned pundit Perry Groves, speaking to talkSPORT recently, described Rodgers as an ‘elite manager’ – and Leicester’s high-flying form this season supporters his claim.

Rodgers will reportedly figure high on Tottenham’s shortlist if Mourinho is dismissed, and you can arguably see why Levy rates the former Celtic gaffer.

In other news: Tottenham have been gifted a potential boost over this star, find out more here.

According to Football Insider, Everton are eager to complete the permanent signing of Josh King this summer.

Toffees want King

King moved to Goodison Park on loan from Bournemouth during the January transfer window and has so far made five appearances in the Premier League under Carlo Ancelotti (Transfermarkt).

This report suggests that the Toffees are already eager to sign the 29-year-old permanently, with the Merseyside outfit already parting with £2m to sign him on a temporary basis.

Solid back-up

Although he has yet to score for his new club, King should provide solid back-up to Dominic Calvert-Lewin. With the Cherries, he managed 48 goals in the Premier League, and has picked up 65 goals during his professional career.

However, he is unlikely to ever be a regular starter – if Everton  want to reach the Champions League, they will need more quality than what King has to offer. As such, Marcel Brands must make sure he negotiates a price which matches the status the Norway international will have in the squad. If he does that, King could be a very valuable player for Everton for a good few years to come.

In other news, some Everton fans were far from happy with the performance of one man during their 1-0 victory over Southampton on Monday.

As Harvey Elliott continues to sparkle, his call for a spot in the Liverpool squad next season grows louder and louder.

The winger, signed from Fulham as a 16-year-old nearly two years ago, is enjoying a stunning season with adopted employers Blackburn Rovers.

In 34 appearances for the Lancashire outfit this season, he has notched five goals and ten assists following his latest contribution against Norwich City on Saturday, a highly impressive count for a player so young.

This is even more eye-catching considering the responsibility he has taken on at Ewood Park, with just 20-goal Adam Armstrong being more productive in the squad at the time of writing.

It is a contribution and in fact understanding of his role that indicates an added maturity on his extremely young shoulders.

Elliott also has statistics that even rank him higher than some of his illustrious Anfield contemporaries.

According to WhoScorded, the youngster is averaging 1.1 shots per game which is more than the likes of Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain, Takumi Minamino, Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri.

His 1.7 key passes per game is also a truly outstanding number and ranks him joint-highest of the Liverpool squad alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold and Sadio Mane.

Whilst it is true that Elliott’s numbers have been accumulated in a much weaker league, those contributions bode extremely well considering that Elliott is unlikely to even hit his peak for at least another decade.

Jurgen Klopp is also certainly aware of the winger’s extreme promise and potential, labelling him as “special” just after his debut for the Reds.

Now rated at £13.5m, Elliott’s valuation is surely going to soar following his exhilarating season in the Championship, catapulting his chances of breaking into the Liverpool first team.

Those calls for him to be included won’t so much be shouts for much longer, they’ll soon be demands.

AND in more news, take a look at which former Real Madrid defender Liverpool must not sign…

Liverpool have been handed a big transfer blow, as reported target David Alaba looks to have agreed to join Real Madrid in the summer.

The Reds have been heavily linked with a move for the Bayern Munich centre-back in recent weeks, as his contract with the Bundesliga side is set to expire at the end of this season, meaning he could’ve been signed on a free transfer in the summer.

However, Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano has now confirmed that the Austrian international will join Real Madrid ahead of next season, which will surely come as a blow to Jurgen Klopp.

Alaba has established himself as one of the best centre-backs in European football in recent years, helping Hans Dieter-Flick’s side to victory in the Champions League final last season.

Last season in the Bundesliga, the 28-year-old averaged a solid 6.99 rating, making 28 appearances as Bayern cruised to the title.

He could’ve been an excellent partner to Virgil van Dijk in the heart of Liverpool’s defence, as he would’ve complemented the Dutchman’s aerial prowess and defensive quality with his own ability to make progressive passes into the midfield and attack.

Alaba has also proven himself to be extremely versatile in his career thus far, something which surely would’ve been appreciated by Klopp, as he has featured as a left-back, a centre-back and a defensive-midfielder on a number of occasions.

Considering Fabinho has arguably become the Reds’ most important player this season due to his ability to play as a centre-back as well as a defensive midfielder, it seems clear that Alaba would’ve been a hit with the German manager.

During Pep Guardiola’s time with the German side, he was full of praise for the Austrian, saying:

“He’s an unbelievable talent. He can play anywhere. He’s quick, good in the build-up and always 100 per cent focused. Without doubt, he can be one of the best centre-backs in the world. He’s a huge gift for Bayern.”

It appears as if the Spanish manager wasn’t wrong when you consider Alaba’s superb performances for Bayern in the past few seasons, and it is undoubtedly a blow for Klopp that he won’t be following in Thiago’s footsteps by making the move to Anfield next summer.

And, in other news… Klopp can refresh Salah by axing £99m-rated ace in favour of “confident” academy talent

Glasgow Rangers have started four different defenders at centre-back so far this season but questions still remain over who should be Steven Gerrard’s first-choice defensive pairing.

An injury to Nikola Katic forced the Ibrox boss to sign Leon Balogun in the summer, with George Edmundson even making a rare appearance, before he was banned by the SFA for breaching COVID rules.

In fact, it’s fair to say that Edmundson is probably the club’s last resort, as he has been warned he is “easily expendable” by former Rangers star Steven Naismith.

Balogun has been an absolute beast at the back, but he seems to be the third option at the moment, in Gerrard’s eyes at least.

Then there’s Filip Helander, who has struggled for consistency so far this season, but it seems he may have been given a lifeline after the Gers once again blew a two-goal lead to draw with Benfica in the Europa League on Thursday night.

You’d be hard pressed to find a more reliable player than Connor Goldson, who has established himself as a first-team regular starter under Gerrard, often using his ball-playing abilities at the back to get the Gers out of danger.

The marauding centre-back has become an integral part of Gerrard’s side, having bagged a brace in the first Old Firm derby of the season.

However, he was at fault for Benfica’s first goal and almost gifted them a third shortly after the equaliser, with several supporters taking to social media to vent their frustrations after the game.

The Gers key man, who earns wages worth £27,000-per-week, which makes him one the club’s highest earners, was quite simply not in the game against the Portuguese giants on Thursday.

Per SofaScore, Goldson was given an average grade of 6.8 out of ten for his efforts – he took 48 touches of the ball, but wasn’t able to do much with it, as he failed to register a single key pass or cross all game and lost possession of the ball ten times.

Whilst that’s not really his role in the side, he only made one tackle and one interception as well, so he may be benched by Gerrard for the Scottish Cup game against Falkirk to give him a bit of a breather, which could see Helander recalled in his place instead.

The Swedish international himself had a night to forget in Portugal in the previous fixture against Benfica as he was at fault for two of the goals.

But Helander could be set for a reprieve to face Falkirk, having been left on the bench for the past three games in a row.

His Sweden boss Janne Andersson singled him out for praise before the international break, saying: “He’s a reliable defender with a great sense of where to place himself on the pitch. Filip’s also a very tough player who won’t bow down.”

If Helander can find his form again, he is undoubtedly one of the best defenders in Scotland. The 27-year-old just needs to be given game time so he can rediscover the form that saw him win a nomination for the Swedish Defender of the Year in 2014.

With Gerrard expected to expected to ring several changes against Falkirk, the Swede is fully capable of stepping in and getting the job done against the Bairns.

AND in other news, Ross Wilson must cash in on Glasgow Rangers outcast Jordan Jones in January…

Glasgow Rangers are back in league action this afternoon, as they play host to Scottish Premiership rivals Celtic in a crunch Old Firm clash at the top of the table.

Rangers maintained their Premiership lead over Celtic with a hard-fought victory over St. Mirren as they avenged their early defeat to the Saints in the Betfred Cup.

The 54-time Scottish champions can inflict Neil Lennon’s second Old Firm defeat of this season by beating the Bhoys at Ibrox.

However, Gerrard faces some tough decisions after midfield duo Scott Arfield and Ryan Jack were ruled out of today’s action due to injury.

With that in mind, here is Football FanCast’s predicted starting line-up for Rangers this afternoon, which sees Gerrard make a couple of changes to the team that squeezed past the Saints.

Allan McGregor is expected to start in goal for Rangers this afternoon having been trusted for most Premiership and Europa League games this season.

It’s hard to imagine Gerrard making many changes to the back four, with Borna Barisic, Connor Goldson and James Tavernier likely to start.

Maybe Filip Helander could keep his place, but the Swedish centre-back was arguably the weakest link against Saints, so we’re backing 6 ft 3 colossus Leon Balogun to replace Helander in the heart of the defence.

As we mentioned earlier, both Arfield and Jack are unavailable for selection, which means Gerrard will most likely deploy a midfield three consisting of Glen Kamara, Steven Davis and Joe Aribo.

Having scored against Hibs, Ianis Hagi actually offered very little against Saints, so bringing Ryan Kent back to the left and switching Kemar Roofe to the right wing is surely a no-brainer, whilst Alfredo Morelos is likely to lead the line.

This means that Hagi will have to settle for a place on the bench – but don’t be surprised to see him feature as a substitute at some point in the second half.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers must recall £18k-p/w star to face Celtic in Old Firm derby…

According to The Daily Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, West Ham are reportedly leading the race for Manchester United outcast Jesse Lingard as he’s set to leave Old Trafford on loan.

What’s the word?

Lingard, 28, has been at the club since the age of seven but has struggled to adapt to the demands of club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The academy product has not even managed a single start in the Premier League so far this season, despite making the bench on four occasions so far and has been restricted to cup appearances.

He has been heavily linked with moves to Inter Milan, Tottenham, Nice and Sheffield United but it seems he could be set for a reunion with his former manager David Moyes at West Ham.

Get rid of him

Lingard is one of several players who haven’t been able to perform on the big stage for a number of years now and is strikingly similar to Alexis Sanchez.

Sanchez, who is four years his senior, struggled to perform at Old Trafford after his arrival from Arsenal, bagging just five goals and nine assists in 45 games for the Red Devils. Considering his exemplary record at Arsenal, signing him was considered to be quite a coup at the time, but his form soon tailed off shortly after his arrival.

The former England international has contributed to 53 goals in over 200 appearances for the club. However, he has never really hit the same heights he enjoyed in the 2017-18 season, where he scored ten times in 39 appearances across all competitions.

Despite his obvious struggles, he still earns around £75,000-per-week at Old Trafford, and when you consider his role in the squad, it becomes clearer that he isn’t of the required standard. Once the end of the season comes to the end, he will have cost Ed Woodward a combined total of £3.9m for a year’s worth of not contributing much on the field.

This means that if you divide the number of games he has played this season – three – by his yearly salary, he will have set the board back a hefty £1.3m per appearance with little to no reward, as he has failed to find the back of the net in each of those appearances.

These days it’s becoming harder to justify his position in the squad, let alone a place in the starting line-up.

It’s easy why the club should consider offloading Lingard. After all, he’s bleeding Woodward dry.

He might not be the only one heading for the exit, with Phil Jones also considered surplus to requirements.

AND in other news, Marcus Rashford masterclass helps Manchester United beat Liverpool 3-2…

Sunderland fans will be eagerly awaiting the Championship getting back underway, as the international break is now over, and the weekend looms large on the horizon.

The Black Cats away faithful face a lengthy journey to Plymouth Argyle, hopeful that their side can make it an incredible five league victories on the bounce in Devon.

New Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris, who has already made quite the impression on supporters in Wearside, will no doubt pick 17-year-old sensation Chris Rigg for this test against Wayne Rooney's Pilgrims, who is now catching the eye of many luxurious suitors.

He could potentially even go for more than what Sunderland got for Jack Clarke, with Ipswich Town paying around £15m to win the former Tottenham Hotspur man's services this summer, after he had reinvented himself at the Stadium of Light.

Rigg's future at Sunderland

It's still early days in the fledging career of Rigg, but much like Jobe Bellingham in the Sunderland ranks, the top young starlets at Le Bris' disposal are already being eyed up by some mammoth clubs.

According to GIVEMESPORT, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City are all interested in the services of Rigg moving forward, having been intently scouting the teenager in action.

He has also been linked with a major switch to Spanish titans Real Madrid, further reinforcing how high the teenager's ceiling already is to have Carlo Ancelotti's giants sniffing around.

The report also added fuel to the fire by stating that Rigg's departure down the line would give the Championship side a 'seismic amount' to play with in the transfer kitty, but the homegrown Black Cats ace is perfectly fine with sticking it out at his current location for the time being, especially as Sunderland now sit pretty at the top of the division.

Coming on leaps and bounds since being Sunderland's youngest-ever league goalscorer last September, he might well leave one day for way more than Clarke's £15m, particularly considering that the report states that he's even deemed a bigger talent than compatriot, Adam Wharton, who left second tier side Blackburn Rovers to join Crystal Palace on a £22m deal in January.

Throw into the mix that the Black Cats were also demanding around £20m for Rigg's teammate Anthony Patterson this summer, and it's easy to see why the teenager could soon eclipse Clarke's recent transfer fee.

Rigg's season so far

Given chances here and there last campaign under the likes of interim head coach Mike Dodds, Le Bris has made Rigg front and centre of his new-look Black Cats side, with the Sunderland number 11 present in all four of his side's league wins to date.

He has also started three of those contests, as Rigg – and the rest of his teammates – continue to look unshackled and free under the new managerial methods of the ex-Lorient boss.

Player

Value end of last season

Value now

Anthony Patterson

£10.8m

£11.3m

Daniel Ballard

£4.4m

£6.4m

Dan Neil

£4.5m

£7m

Jobe Bellingham

£6.5m

£10.4m

Trai Hume

£4.8m

£7.9m

Looking at the table above, the likes of Jobe Bellingham and Trai Hume in the Black Cats first team are very much benefitting from the freshness of the early Le Bris regime, with 18-year-old Bellingham's value now all the up at £10.4m.

According to Transfermarkt, Rigg's value only comes in at a meagre £253k – when looking towards the back-end of Sunderland's topsy-turvy 23/24 campaign – with his increase in value to come no doubt the most dramatic on the list.

Winning four duels as a lively presence in his side's 3-1 win away at Portsmouth before the international break intervened, Rigg – who was labelled as "wonderful" by former Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray last year – has also shown an eye for goal across his team's four league wins to date, with three shots registered against Sheffield Wednesday last month.

He will only get better under Le Bris and looks likely to be Sunderland's next big sale, especially if Ancelotti's Whites come knocking with an absurd offer down the line.

Sunderland have struck gold on £200k star who's now worth more than Neil

Sunderland would have been glad to keep a firm grip on this star over the summer.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 10, 2024