With the news that Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard’s MLS experiment is over, speculation over his next move has run rampant. That speculation has included rumors of a move to Celtic in the hopes of playing out his last days in the U.K.
Manager Brendan Rodgers responded to some of the speculation and put some cooler water on the thoughts of a reunion between former manager and player.
“I wouldn’t tell you if there was anyway, but I suppose it’s that time of the year now, we are getting towards the January window and Stevie’s time is finished out there at Galaxy so I’m sure there is speculation over where he might go.
“And of course there’s a natural look at Celtic because of the size of the club, and it’s a club he admired, and also I have some of my former players here working with me. But we always keep our business behind closed doors.”
Even if there are some legs to the rumor, is this a move that makes Celtic better?
The answer really depends on what you mean by better and what role Gerrard would really have with this team.
Maybe in a previous season this move would be a welcome one on the pitch, but Celtic aren’t exactly one piece away from making sure they make it to the knockout round of the Champions League or have much to worry about domestically for this season either.
In fact, at the Celtic annual general meeting earlier this week, Rodgers made it clear that moves he would make in January would be ones with an eye to strengthening this squad for next season and another run at the Champions League group stage.
More from The Celtic Bhoys
- Celtic handed fresh injury doubt before Feyenoord game
- Celtic’s £40.7 million announcement should scare Rangers
- Brendan Rodgers makes superb claim about returning Celtic player
- BBC pundit makes sensational claim about Celtic hero Kyogo
- Kyogo Furuhashi sends clear message to Celtic doubters
Gerrard doesn’t exactly scream out as a long-term commitment, rather just a place he fancies and believes can be a nice spot to land before moving on to the next spot in his footballing journey (likely off the pitch).
Maybe this move works if Gerrard comes on board until the end of the season and finds a role on the coaching staff after that. But, outside of that, bringing Gerrard in serves no other usesful purpose for the club.
His time in Los Angeles were largely injury-plagued and when healthy he added just three goals in 18 matches in Major League Soccer. Sure, he added nine assists, but with the likes of Tom Rogic and Scott Sinclair there are plenty of players in the Hoops that already are adept at assisting and scoring in an attacking role.
Then there is the story of Kolo Toure, who has been serviceable, but hardly the first-choice player he once was earlier in his career. He’s gone from stalwart to often seen on the bench in just the first three months with the Bhoys.
Just because he was once a big name in European football circles doesn’t mean he is right for the long-term future of Celtic.
A healthy Jozo Simunovic and an in-form Eric Sviatchenko have quickly taken over in the center of Celtic’s defense. It didn’t take long for Simunovic to emerge as the star Celtic thought he would be when they signed him from Dynamo Zagreb.
Once back to full health it didn’t take him long to replace the aging Toure. That form and Toure’s flubs against Borussia Monchengladbach have seen the elder statesmen of the defense relegated to spot duty at best these days.
That’s not to say Gerrard would go the route of Toure per say, but considering all the facts one has to wonder if this move would turn out much the same on the pitch.
With Celtic needing a few long-term pieces in the center of the pitch, along with a goalkeeper that isn’t aging to go along with Craig Gordon, is adding another aging outfield player really high up on the priority list?
We’re guessing that the language of looking forward suggests that Stevie G isn’t and shouldn’t be coming to Celtic Park as a player.