Celtic have announced that Ross Doohan has penned an extension on a new four-year contract on Thursday afternoon. The 20-year-old signed on the dotted line before leaving for Ayr United on a loan spell in the upcoming 2018/19 campaign. Doohan arrived at Celtic Park in the summer of 2016 and spent the first half of the previous season out on loan with Greenock Morton FC. He did not feature at all for the Ton or for the Hoops other than the one appearance against Annan Athletic in the Challenge Cup.
The highly-rated youngster will expect to receive more game time while away from the Hoops since Brendan Rodgers already has to accommodate, Craig Gordon, Scott Bain and Dorus de Vries through a regular season. However, with de Vries turning 37 this year and Gordon, 35 it might not be long since Doohan gets called up for serious first-team involvement. It is ideal for him to gain experience in order to develop his game in the coming years.
Ayr United only have an injured 33-year-old Chris Higgins as their shot-stopper and is bound to call up Doohan on regular occasions next season. United are expected to make a run for promotion next term and maybe Doohan can be a leading figure at the back of the defence. Rodgers should be pleased to have found the 20-year-old a potentially rewarding home for next year.
After all, the entire Hoops squad operates on a very young core group of players with a few veterans completing the puzzle. Rodgers also relies on loan deals for rising stars and which has worked wonders over the past two seasons, winning the club two consecutive domestic trebles.
Now, the club just needs to build on the success to mount a significant challenge in the European club competitions. They are the benchmark of Scottish representation in the continental stage and should aim to do better in the near future.
Rodgers is already out making improvements to his current squad, strongly moving towards the transfer of John McGinn from Hibernian. Speaking to the press, the Bhoys head coach said, “I am distant from that, so time will tell. That’s something for the clubs to organise. I coach the team, I manage the team. We target players but ultimately any agreements have to be between the two clubs.”
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“We respect John is still very much a Hibs player and unless there’s an agreement… like I say, it’s going to be a difficult one. That’s really between the clubs.”