Brendan Rodgers will have to carefully examine a number of players in his Celtic squad, who were out on loan last season. Two more have returned to Parkhead after tough spells, which have only raised questions about their futures. And it remains to be seen if they’ll have a place in the Northern Irishman’s plans or not.
Osaze Urhoghide arrived at Celtic almost alongside Ange Postecoglou and seemed to have been signed with either the future or an urgent need for players in mind. He spent the second half of his debut season with the Hoops out on loan in Belgium with KV Oostende. And the player made enough of an impression to return there again on loan last season.
Urhoghide wasn’t able to stop KV Oostende from relegation this time around though, missing a few matches through suspension at the critical season end. Now, the defender returns to Parkhead.
He may have some potential but doesn’t look like a fast, ball playing, solid centre-back who would fit Celtic’s style of play. There is a huge question mark over what is next for Urhoghide and a move away seems more likely than him seeing out his contract at Parkhead.
Celtic duo return to Parkhead after failed loan spells
The situation is perhaps brighter for Tobi Oluwayemi, who returns from a fairly disappointing loan spell at Cork City FC. He only played in a couple of matches there, fumbling a shot in his debut game to let the winning goal in and went off injured in his second. His injury then kept him out of the side for the remainder of the season.
Oluwayemi came to Celtic from Tottenham Hotspur in 2021 with a great reputation, and international recognition for England at all multiple youth levels. He only turned 20 last month, so he is still very young for a goalkeeper. Not too long ago, there was talk of him being longer term understudy to Joe Hart and learning from the Englishman.
The goalkeeping position at Celtic does look like one which will need Rodgers’ close attention. He has Hart, Benjamin Siegrist and Scott Bain, all above Oluwayemi in the pecking order.
Oluwayemi has a contract that runs till the summer of 2024 and his future at the club may well depend on what Rodgers thinks of Hart, Siegrist and Bain and any potential replacements he has eyes on. It may yet be too early for the youngster to secure first-team football for Celtic but he can learn a lot from the experienced goalkeepers at Parkhead.