Former Celtic loan star Patrick Roberts has hinted that he could return to the Scottish champions in the future, with his status at Manchester City uncertain.
The 21-year-old spent the past two and a half seasons on loan at Parkhead, scoring 18 goals and registering 26 assists in 78 games for Brendan Rodgers’ side.
With his future at the Premier League champions cloudy, Roberts has opened the door to a Hoops return: “Obviously I said at the end of the season that I spent a good two and a half years there and my time was brilliant,” he told the Scottish Sun.
“I’ve said before that I could end up back there at some point but right now I’m just looking at what’s best for me and my future.”
The winger also revealed his City uncertainty: “No [I’ve not spoken to Pep Guardiola], I’m just here to train, work hard and get my fitness up. We’ll see what happens.”
OPINION
There will be plenty of Bhoys fans out there who will be excited by this news. Roberts was a huge hit during his time in Glasgow, forming a key part of Rodgers’ squads during his two and a half years at the club. It doesn’t appear that City have any interest in keeping him at the club, and he is about to enter the final year of his contract at the Etihad Stadium. The fact that Guardiola has yet to speak to the 21-year-old, as well as his limited involvement in pre season, suggests that he will not be featuring in the manager’s plans for the upcoming campaign. It’s somewhat surprising that Celtic have not already made contact with City over a permanent deal for the winger. He’s young, exciting and probably wouldn’t cost the world. He’s the sort of player that the club needs to retain if they are to carry on progressing. Let’s see if any action is taken by the Hoops following this news.