LIAM SHAW has mysteriously vanished from the Celtic first-team picture.
The midfielder has made just one start and been involved in a mere nine minutes of Premiership action since arriving at Parkhead at the end of his Sheffield Wednesday contract in June 2021.
Shaw, who cost £400,000 in a cross-border compensation fee, spent last season on loan at third-tier Wigan and has also had temporary shifts at Motherwell and Morecambe.
The 23-year-old anchorman still has eight months to run on his deal, but appears to have disappeared from sight. He no longer appears among the images of the Hoops first-team squad.
HAPPIER TIMES…Liam Shaw arrives at Celtic in June 2021.
The transfer deadline came and went a week ago today and there was no announcement of a move for Shaw.
The Celtic site shows six players are currently out on loan – Gustaf Lagerbielke (FC Twente), Kwon Hyeok-kyu (Hibs), Marco Tilio (Melbourne City), Alexandro Bernabei (SC Nacional), Johnny Kenny (Shamrock Rovers) and Tobi Oluwayemi (Dunfermline0.
There is no mention of Shaw.
He is still a Celtic player, according to the transfermarket site and has the No.30 shirt number.
The former Hillsborough prospect’s only start for the team came in a 3-2 success over Real Betis in the Europa League at Parkhead on December 9 2021.
His solitary league appearance came as an 81st-minute substitute for Nir Bitton in a goalless draw with St Mirren in Paisley on December 22, just three days after Ange Postecoglou had picked up his first piece of silverware as Celtic gaffer in the 2-1 League Cup triumph over Hibs at Hampden.
RARE APPEARANCE…James McCarthy on the ball in a fleeting first-team outing.
The situation echoes that of his fellow-midfielder James McCarthy who also did a disappearing act when the 33-year-old former Republic of Ireland international went AWOL from the official list of players a month ago, as CQN flagged up at the time.
Once again, there was no announcement from the champions over any departure of the player who signed a four-year contract when he joined on a free transfer from Crystal Palace on August 3 2021.
Glaswegian McCarthy, who played 43 times for his adopted nation, didn’t kick a ball for Brendan Rodgers last season.
The previous year, with Postecoglou in charge, he failed to start a single game and was involved in only 62 minutes of action.
His last first-team sighting was as a substitute in the 2-1 win over St Johnstone in Perth on October 8 2022.
McCarthy’s exit from Celtic was unheralded – it looks as though Shaw has taken an identical path.
