Celtic could give Conor Hazard his chance to prove Brendan Rodgers right – TBR View

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Celtic are currently on the hunt for a new goalkeeper, with Fraser Forster and Craig Gordon both leaving the club this summer. 

Scott Bain is now the club’s number one and Celtic boss Neil Lennon will seemingly need a new stopper. 

Indeed, plenty of big names have been linked with the role, including the likes of Joe Hart and former Parkhead hero David Marshall. 

But perhaps Celtic should now give a chance to a player that Brendan Rodgers once claimed had a future in the first-team at Parkhead. 

Speaking to the official Celtic website in 2018, Rodgers suggested that talented young Northern Ireland star Conor Hazard would be a future first-team option at Celtic. 

“We might need to look at the goalkeeping situation. We sent young Conor Hazard out on loan to get experience. I think he could be a very good keeper in the future for us but he needs to get the games.”

The 22-year-old joined Celtic from Cliftonville in 2014 and is already a full international for Northern Ireland. 

He has been out on loan with the likes of Falkirk, Partick Thistle, and Dundee in the past but is yet to make his debut for the Celtic first-team.

Whilst he may not yet be ready to be number one, he could act as back-up to Bain and be eased in to finally get his chance of first-team football. 

If not now, then when? Hazard signed a contract extension until 2021 in 2017 and, despite transfermarkt suggesting his current deal runs until 2023, it appears his deal actually expires in 12 months’ time. 

This might be the year the one-cap international has to make the grade at Celtic.