Livingston has surprised everyone as they are currently sitting fifth on the Premiership table. Not only that, they have lost just once and have the second best defensive record in the league. Craig Halkett has been a rock at the back for his side and Steven Gerrard praised him for his performance against Rangers where the Glaswegian giants were beaten 1-0 on the day.
Halkett is a former Rangers player who was shown the door from the club after he was considered to be not good enough by Mark Warburton. However, he has come up leaps and bounds since then and is also captaining Livingston at the moment even though he is still just 23.
Celtic are likely to go after a defender soon as they are going to lose Dedryck Boyata by next year. Filip Benkovic is also just on a season-long loan. Therefore it makes sense for Brendan Rodgers to start looking for a defender from now only. Halkett is in the final year of his contract, and thus a sale could be imminent in the near future.
However, the Hoops will have to face challenges from Rangers who have renewed their interest in getting their former player back. Along with them, they have to outdo English clubs like Blackburn Rovers and Sheffield United who are also said to be monitoring this talented defender.
What could be a major stumbling for Celtic is that Halkett happens to be a boyhood Rangers fan. After his performance against Steven Gerrard’s side, he was said,”Being a Rangers fan myself, you want to get results against them. I got an earful after the game from my mum and dad — although they were in the Livi end and they will support me first before the team we grew up with. I think they were delighted we managed to get the win.”
Nevertheless, if the Gers don’t seem too interested in getting him back, Celtic should chance their arm in landing Halkett. The young starlet could very well be the backbone of the Hoops defence for years to come. Apart from his strong defensive qualities, what makes the 23-year-old Scotsman stand out is his leadership qualities on the pitch. Not often one sees such a young player leading his side out.
Celtic cannot afford to have another ordinary transfer window and signing a centre-back should be on top of the priority list. The Bhoys showed interest in Aberdeen defender Scott McKenna in the summer, but their bid was rejected. Latest reports claim that Wolves are interested in him, and so one cannot expect the Hoops to match Wolves’ financial power. So maybe there is a solid case for Rodgers to go after Halkett instead who is a more attainable target.
