It is not the easiest thing in the world to break into Celtic’s first-team. And during the time of Neil Lennon at the club, opportunities were especially hard to come by for fringe players as the Northern Irish manager liked to stick with a set team.
Even David Turnbull, who has been magnificent ever since he has come into the team, had to wait until December to get a decent run of games in the first-team. And fortunately he got that chance, because not everybody did.
One such player was Jack Hendry. The Scottish defender was signed during the time of Brendan Rodgers but did not appear to be a part of Lennon’s first-team plans. He made a solitary appearance in the 2019/20 season and was then sent out on loan to Melbourne City in January of last year.
At the start of this season, he was sent on loan to Belgian side KV Oostende and he has really made his mark there. He has been a regular for them and has caught the eye of clubs around Europe.
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Hendry admits to frustration at lack of playing time at Celtic
Hendry has admitted that the lack of playing time at Celtic did get “frustrating” for him. As reported by BBC, he said:
"“It’s frustrating that I was never given the opportunity to show what I could do [under Lennon].“The way I’m performing, I could have a real good impact and it’s not been nice seeing the way the season has panned out for them.”"
To be honest, the way he has performed this season and the worries that Celtic have had to endure at centre-back, Hendry could have certainly been a very useful player for the Hoops this season.
Now, with a new manager expected to come in in the summer and his impressive performances this season, he might still have a future at Parkhead if the club do not manage to hold on to his next season.
Whatever maybe the case, it is good to see him thriving away on loan and ultimately, it is going to benefit both the club and the player in the future.