Willie Stay or Willie Go?
There is a long standing tradition in Scottish football where a player has a good season from outside of the Old Firm, then gets linked with a move to either the blue half or the green half of Glasgow. More often than not the move takes place. This summer that player being strongly linked is David Goodwillie. At only 22 years of age but playing, and scoring, regularly for Dundee United you can see why he would accept a move to the Old Firm. For the sake of his long-term career he should stay well away, this summer at least.
Many players have joined one of Scotland’s two biggest sides in the last few years from other SPL teams following a successful season at one of their domestic rivals. However, many of these players have an unsuccessful time. Derek Riordan, Chris Killen, Andy Webster, Kevin Thomson and Ian Murray have all followed this path in recent years with all of them probably regretting making such a move. In Riordan’s case he described his time at Celtic Park as hell in an interview with the Scotland on Sunday.
Last summer the big domestic transfer in Scotland was Hibs striker Anthony Stokes moving to Parkhead for his (so-called) “dream move”. Come March of this year his father, who is also his agent, questioned Celtic’s approach towards his son. He said,
“What is the point of being a Celtic player if you don’t play in the big games? For whatever reason Lennon just doesn’t fancy him. They obviously don’t trust him to play against Rangers. He was absolutely furious on the bench. I know that he is furious that Lennon doesn’t have the confidence in him”.
One reason why these types of players often find their times at one of the Old Firm sides difficult is down to whether they are a big enough name for the club in the big games. Would you choose to play a young Scottish player or a European international who has World Cup experience in an Old Firm derby which is broadcast worldwide? In a big European tie would you choose someone who can play very well against St Mirren and Kilmarnock (no disrespect to either of those sides) or would you choose to play someone with bags of Champions League/Europa League appearances? It is so often the latter choice in both cases.
So this summer Mr Goodwillie will have a big choice to make. Do you reject both sides of the Old Firm and stay with the club that made you the player you are today, playing week-in, week-out but with no real aspirations of winning the title? Or do you join one of the two biggest teams in Scotland, play the occasional League Cup tie against a Division 1 side, sit on the bench for European games but pick up a League winners medal based on your combined total of 18 substitutes appearances?
Tough call David. However, with Birmingham City, recently relegated from the Barclays Premier League, having an apparent interest in the player I would suggest that he plies his trade in the Championship next season. If he were to score down south on a regular basis and win promotion back to the Premier League, he would become a big enough name to be an Old Firm regular starter instead of a bench-warmer – if he wishes to return to the SPL that is!
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