Kris Boyd slams Celtic for making Craig Gordon ‘the villain’ in contract situation

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Kris Boyd claims that Celtic are trying to paint Craig Gordon as ‘the villain’ amid his contract situation at the club. 

The Celtic stopper is out of contract this summer and has been offered a new deal at Parkhead, but on reduced wages. 

It comes after a season in which Gordon spent most of the campaign on the bench, with Fraser Forster the undisputed starter.

For Boyd, the contract offer is nothing more than for show.

The ex-Rangers striker believes, as he wrote in The Scottish Sun, Neil Lennon does not rate Gordon and the offer is just to make it look like Celtic are keen on keeping him amid a hope they can secure Forster’s return from Southampton.

“Now Lenny wants Forster back to be his No 1 for next season’s ten-in-a-row campaign — but those talks could last for weeks yet and even then it’s far from certain they’ll get things over the line.

“In the meantime Celtic need to make it look like they’re doing everything in their power to keep Craig by offering a new contract. So when he rejects it he’s the one painted as the villain.

“I’ve seen it before and I’ll see it again. What I will say is Celtic should be careful what they wish for.”

He also made it clear that Gordon might now be paying the price for rejecting a move to Chelsea back in 2017. As reported by the BBC, Chelsea made an offer of £3.5 million for the goalkeeper with the intention of him becoming the club’s second-choice keeper. 

“He could have left the club and signed a huge, mega-money contract with Chelsea just a few years ago.

“But Craig chose to stay and let his heart rule his head. Yet here he is, out of contract and almost out on his ear.”

But Gordon remained loyal to Celtic. 

Now it seems Celtic are simply ready to move on from the 37-year-old who has, undoubtedly, been a magnificent servant to the club.

TBR’s View

It is hard to believe that Celtic are trying to paint Gordon as the ‘villain’. Instead, it is a reflection of his advancing years and the current global health crisis that Celtic have offered him reduced wages. 

Not many Celtic fans are likely to take the criticism of Boyd too seriously and, on this occasion, they might be right.