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News
Pundit names linked-away Celtic player he thinks will soon be given a new deal by Neil Lennon
Mark Wilson believes that Celtic winger Jonny Hayes is in line for a contract extension by Hoops boss Neil Lennon, in conversation with the .
The 32-year-old joined the Bhoys from Aberdeen in the summer of 2017 for a fee reportedly in excess of £1million (), penning a three-year contract at Parkhead.
During his time with Celtic, Hayes has made .
The Republic of Ireland international has largely been utilised as a squad rotation player, with .
Hayes’ contract but Wilson is confident that the player remains an asset for Lennon and reckons there’s “another year” in the green and white hoops for him.
“The thing with Jonny Hayes is, maybe under Brendan Rodgers you would say no because there was times he wasn’t even in the matchday squad, he was sitting in the stands and missing a lot of football so you’d probably cut ties with him,” Wilson wrote in the .
“Neil Lennon plays him quite regularly. He’s made 26 appearances this season and that in itself tells you he’s an important part of Neil’s squad. Neil relies on him for a number of positions and a number of different formations. I think there’s always a use for a player like that in the squad.
“He doesn’t look like he’s lacking in fitness as his years are going by and that’s another important thing as well. And he seems to be the go-to guy, especially in the left-back area when Celtic are struggling.
“He’s not just picked for home games against teams around about the bottom of the league. He plays him in big games and that would signal to me that Neil probably would look to keep him. Certainly if I was Jonny Hayes just now and I’d played that number of games, and in crucial games, I’d be sitting thinking I’m in for another year here.”
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Although Hayes has come under criticism at times from sections of the Celtic fanbase, Wilson appears confident about what Lennon thinks of the player – namely that he remains a valuable asset to the team and can come in handy.
Teamtalk reported in November that Cardiff City, Burnley, Huddersfield Town and Stoke City were eyeing Hayes ahead of the January transfer window, and were he to become a free agent, surely it wouldn’t be long before someone snapped him up.
However, Wilson believes there’s another year in store at Parkhead for Hayes if he wants it.