CELTIC EYE CAP STAR

SCOTLAND international centre-back Declan Gallagher is on Celtic’s radar.

Parkhead recruitment chief Nick Hammond watched the former Hoops prospect in Motherwell’s 1-1 draw with St Mirren in Paisley yesterday.

The champions are involved in a frantic search during this month’s transfer window to strengthen their defence with Christopher Jullien likely to be sidelined for the remainder of the campaign with a knee injury after his sickening collision with a post in the 3-0 win over Dundee United just before the turn of the year.

Shane Duffy’s less-than-convincing form since his £2million loan arrival from Brighton has made bolstering the middle of the rearguard a priority for Neil Lennon.

Filip Benkovic was mentioned as a possibility to return to the champions for a second temporary switch from Leicester City, but any plans in that direction look doomed to failure with the 23-year-old Croatian stopper heading for Belgian outfit OH Leveun, as CQN reported.

Gallagher is looking to quit the Fir Park men before a clause in his contract triggers a 12-month extension.

The 29-year-old pivot has made a meteoric rise in standings following his introduction to the Scotland set-up by Steve Clarke where he has turned out seven times for his country.

Gallagher, who was in the Hoops youth team as a teenager, joined Well from Livingston in the summer of 2019 and has also played at Stranraer, on loan from Parkhead, Clyde and Dundee.

He has been linked with a return to his boyhood favourites in recent months and Hammond took the opportunity to get an up-to-date look at his form in Well’s league encounter against St Mirren where he put in his usual steady and no-frills performance, according to a report in the Scottish Sun on Sunday.