Celtic winger Lewis Morgan has revealed there was nothing in the rumours linking him with a move to England with Sunderland and confirmed that while he might not be playing he has no intentions of leaving Parkhead any time soon.
The 22-year-old, who arrived at Celtic in the January window of 2018, has struggled for regular game time under manager Brendan Rodgers, with nine appearances this season after remaining at St Mirren on loan after the Hoops snapped him up at the start of the year.
A move south of the border to League One Sunderland was touted over the summer but Morgan rebuffed any notion that it was a possibility, and confirmed his short term plans did not include a loan exit in January.
He told the Evening Times: “I don’t think it is now or never. I am 22 so I have got ten or 15 years ahead of me so I don’t put that pressure on myself. I am not looking to go out on loan (in January). I am looking to go out and play. I am just focusing on the games coming up.
“(The rumours with Sunderland) It was paper talk. I never heard anything about that. When I came in I didn’t want to go anywhere else so that was never a possibility. I am here and I want to try and fight for my place at this club.
Opinion
Morgan has not been given too much of a chance by Rodgers but that means that he has to do more out on the training ground before he can expect to be featuring regularly. As a winger he is facing some stiff competition in the form of Callum McGregor, James Forrest and Scott Sinclair, although Daniel Arzani’s injury bombshell, with the summer arrival now out for the season, could give him more of a chance as Rodgers rotates his squad for cup games and the like. A loan move away from Celtic would almost guarantee game time but it is admirable he is wanting to try and force his way into the first team reckoning at the Bhoys. Whether he can pull it off or not is another matter entirely, and should he fail then it will be another season wasted at the start of what looked to be a bright career. Still developing as a player, Morgan cannot afford to waste any time where he could be picking up action, and so maybe he ought to reconsider his plans for January.