‘The best’: £4m striker hails ‘top drawer’ player Celtic reportedly want to buy

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Celtic on-loan goalkeeper Fraser Forster – a reported permanent target for Neil Lennon – has been praised by Charlie Austin on the Keeping the Ball on the Ground podcast.

Forster has been on Southampton’s books since the summer of 2014, when he left Parkhead for St Mary’s Stadium in a £10million deal (BBC Sport), and has made 125 appearances for the Saints, but fell out of favour under both Mark Hughes and then Ralph Hasenhuttl.

The 32-year-old made just one first-team appearance for Southampton last season, the penultimate game of the 2018-19 Premier League campaign against West Ham, in which he conceded three goals, and his last senior appearance prior to that was on Boxing Day 2017, when the Saints were beaten 5-1 by Tottenham.

However, Forster’s loan switch back to Celtic has proven a new lease of life for his career, with 39 appearances for Lennon’s side this term prior to the shutdown, and numerous superb performances and saves, in particular his masterclasses against Lazio at Celtic Park and against Rangers in the Scottish League Cup final.

West Bromwich Albion striker Austin, who played alongside Forster at Southampton, told the podcast, as transcribed by the Scottish Sun: “He was unfortunate that Joe Hart was England number one while he played for Man City.

“When I went there, he was top drawer. The best goalie I’ve played with I would say. It was a strange one. Him and Al McCarthy were very good together. Then they brought in Angus Gunn and just left him as fourth choice. It was mad.”

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It’s almost baffling to think Forster was frozen out at Southampton for so long, considering just how well he has done back at Celtic, and he would be an incredible permanent signing for the Hoops – indeed, his £4million former colleague has been singing his praises.

As reported by the Sunday Post in February, Celtic hope that Southampton will let the £70,000-a-week ace (Spotrac) go in a cut-price deal, but considering thr Saints not had the best of seasons, they may consider hanging on to him for next season.

Given he’s proven himself at Celtic, there could also potentially be plenty of suitors interested for the Saints to do business with in the summer – so unless the Hoops are prepared to break the bank and Forster is willing to compromise massively, another loan deal may just be the best option.