Jackie McNamara believes that Celtic right-back Anthony Ralston has failed to progress after initially impressing at Celtic Park and that the club need a new full-back this summer.
Ralston had got off to a promising start to his career at Celtic, with the 20-year-old making 15 appearances for the club, but the defender has struggled to kick on and earn a regular starting place in the last year.
Lennon’s side could lose fellow right-back Mikael Lustig, with the defender out of contract this summer but Celtic are keen to give the 32-year-old a new deal, according to Football Insider.
McNamara, in answering a question on whether he thinks the club need a new right-back, revealed he believes that Lennon will have to search for a new full-back this summer, with Ralston struggling to make an impact on the first team side.
“I think there has to be. Ralston looked promising, I don’t know what happened to him? He had a loan at Dundee United and he hasn’t really kept on like I thought he would have so far,” McNamara told Football Insider.
“He’s still a young boy, there’s still a chance he can get that form back. He played the Champions League games and did well.”
OPINION
McNamara is right to suggest that Ralston has failed to kick on from an impressive beginning to his career at Celtic Park. The former Celtic player is also right to highlight that Lennon’s side might be in need of signing a new right-back this summer, with the unwanted prospect of losing Lustig still a possibility even though the defender has been offered a new deal. At this moment it is difficult to see Ralston being entrusted with being the club’s first choice at full-back next term, and therefore Lennon will have to look to recruit a defender he can make give regular game time to next season. However, Ralston will have the pre-season to show that he is able to make the step and impress Lennon in time for the start of the new season. It will be interesting to see whether Celtic sign a new right-back if Lustig does sign a new deal, and that will probably be very revealing as to whether Ralston has a future at Celtic Park.