‘CHRISTIE STAYING, ALLAN GOING,’ SAYS HOOPS BOSS

CQN Magazine

6 years ago

BRENDAN RODGERS has told Derek McInnes he has no chance of signing Ryan Christie on a permanent deal.

However, the Celtic boss has given Neil Lennon the green light for Hibs to make a move for Scott Allan.

Both the midfielders are on loan at Pittodrie and Easter Road respectively until the end of the campaign.

Dons gaffer McInnes claimed that he would attempt to buy Christie in the summer, but he will get no joy from Rodgers in his quest to sign the talented 23-year-old Scotland international playmaker.

The Hoops chief said: “The plan was always for Ryan to come back.

“I looked at it last summer after he’d spent six months on loan to Aberdeen, working with Derek at a fantastic club, under pressure.

“I asked: ‘Is it better for him to play 40-plus games for them or maybe play between five and 10 for me?’

“We had a call-back facility in January if we’d wanted him, but I always felt a year playing out, working on his game and his physical strength, on preparing week-in and week-out for games would benefit him and benefit Celtic.

“I can’t blame Derek for wanting to have a player of that quality, but it’s not a discussion we’ll have. Ryan will come back here.”

Allan, signed from Hibs by Ronny Deila in 2015, has never played under Rodgers.

The 26-year-old midfield man was sent out on loan to Rotherham last season, and spent the first half of the current campaign with Dundee.

He returned to Easter Road in January as part of the deal which saw the Parkhead outfit buy defender Jack Hendry from the Tayside club and take goalkeeper Scott Bain – who had been on loan – from the Edinburgh outfit until the end of the season.

Allan has another year left on his contract, but Rodgers is willing to let him leave in the summer.

The Irishman said: “I watched the Rangers (sic) game against Hibs at Ibrox and thought Scott played really well in it.

“Sometimes there are players who are just suited to a certain club and when I look at Scott, he seems right at Hibs.

“He’s a great boy. I’ve never had an issue with him, but he’s at a stage where he wants to play.

“I had a good summer working with him when I came in here, but he’d had a few ups and downs and it was about letting him go out and play somewhere.

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