Former footballer Barry Ferguson has delivered his verdict on Celtic’s chase of goalkeeper Fraser Forster.
Ferguson recently appeared as a guest on the latest episode of PLZ Soccer’s ‘The Football Show’. The panel talked about many things and included Peter Martin and Tam McManus. Ferguson was asked about Forster and delivered his verdict about the Hoops’ chase of the Englishman.
STV had recently reported that Forster has chosen to stay at Southampton and wants to fight for his place at the Premier League club. This came as a blow to Celtic’s hopes of signing him again this summer.
While talking about whether Celtic can still sign the goalkeeper or not, Ferguson said: “I think they’ll go as long as they can to try and wait on Fraser Forster.
Can Celtic still sign Forster?
Yes, there's still a chance
No, the deal is dead
“He’s a top goalkeeper. You’ve seen the difference he made to Celtic last year, certainly in the League Cup final. For me, he won Celtic the game with his display. When they’ve been under the cosh at times in games, he’s a big-game player. I’m sure Lennon will be waiting as long as he can to try and get that one over the line.”
Ferguson clearly sees Forster as a very good player and believes that he was key for Celtic in some big games like the League Cup final last season, while it seems he feels that the deal isn’t quite dead yet.
TIF Thoughts…
Forster indeed was key for Celtic in big games last year. He saved a penalty in the League Cup final against Rangers and came up with good performances against the likes of Cluj, Lazio, Rennes and Copenhagen in the UEFA Europa League as well. That is a reflection of how important a player he was for Celtic.
Also, Forster was a regular between the sticks for Neil Lennon’s men. He made 39 appearances in all competitions, keeping a total of 17 clean sheets (via Transfermarkt).
The Hoops may require his presence in order to have a successful 2020/21 season and a quality player like Forster can help them increase their chances of winning a 10th Premiership title in a row.