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The goalkeeping situation at Celtic is interesting, as the only thing that looks to be certain is that Joe Hart will be the number one goalkeeper at the club for the rest of the season as long as he stays fit.
With Celtic in action at Hampden this weekend, it brings to mind a former Hampden hero for the Hoops, goalkeeper Conor Hazard, who saved two penalties in the Scottish Cup final shootout win over Hearts in 2020.
The 24-year-old was on loan at HJK Helsinki last season, and helped his team win the title, but now he is back at Celtic, as his loan deal has come to an end, and his contract at Celtic Park expires at the end of the season.
You have to think that Hazard’s chances of featuring for Celtic in the second-half of the season are slim and none, and with his contract set to expire soon, it seems sensible to allow the player to leave, and a return to HJK Helsinki would be ideal for the player.
Hazard is still young when it comes to goalkeepers, it often takes players in that position until they get into their 30s until they get to their best, and that might be the case with Hazard, but he has performed well for Helsinki, and after that experience in Helsinki Hazard will be keen to play first-team football on a regular basis, and that isn’t going to happen at Celtic, as Joe Hart, Benjamin Siegrist and Scott Bain are all ahead of the player in the pecking order.
Hazard’s career has been interesting, as he has played on loan for a number of clubs, at Falkirk, Partick Thistle and Dundee, before he made his now famous appearance in the Scottish Cup Final for the Hoops, which was one of only eight appearances he has made for the Bhoys.
Despite Hazard’s heroics in the cup final, it didn’t lead to more appearances for the goalkeeper, and a loan move seemed inevitable after the player failed to get into the side during Ange Postecoglou’s first season as manager at Celtic Park.
Celtic might well have a different goalkeeper to Joe Hart as the team’s number one next season, as Hart is coming towards the end of his career, and you have to think that the Hoops boss will be looking to make a change in the goalkeeping position sooner rather than later.
But don’t expect Hazard to be that goalkeeper, and a move this month back to Helsinki would be good for the player.
Connor Hazard is an exceptional goalkeeper and deserves a contract extension and a chance at Celtic. Is he as good as Hart not yet, is he as good as Siegrest not quite and is he as good as Bain possibly but another season out on loan getting first team football could and should see him challenging strongly for a place in Celtic match day squads the following season. The question is though is he willing to wait for his chance, only time will tell. Whatever he decides good luck to the lad.