BRENDAN RODGERS is aware the clock is ticking on Greg Taylor’s Celtic contract.
The left-back, who celebrated his 27th birthday in the Hoops’ 3-1 Champions League triumph over RB Leipzig on Tuesday night, is out of terms in the summer and will be available to talk to interested clubs in January.
Taylor cost £2.1million when he joined from Kilmarnock in September 2019, but discussions on a new deal have stalled – and Rodgers wants the situation resolved pronto.
The Hoops boss is eager for the team’s unsung hero to put pen to paper on an extension and said: “I hope that’s the case because there comes a point where both sides have to understand what we’re thinking.
ON THE BALL…Greg Taylor on the attack during Celtic’s 3-0 win over St Mirren in Paisley in August.
“If it’s not going to happen then, okay, we know that. We can then plan and prepare going forwards, but I really hope it doesn’t get to that because I love working with Greg.
“He’s played about 186 games here. I can’t tell you how influential he is off the pitch and how good he’s been on the pitch for this club with his consistency and within how we play.”
Rodgers, speaking to the Scottish Sun, continued: “I hope we can do something. I really, really like him. He’s such a good guy. He loves being here.
“He’s a big voice in the changing room. Every single day in training, he’s so good. He’s focused.
“He’s just married and he will be a father later in the year, as well. We want him to really settle down and get everything ready for him.
“I just want to continue working with him for as long as I possibly can.”
RED ALERT…Alex Valle in action during Celtic’s 6-0 Premier Sports League Cup semi-final win over Aberdeen at Hampden.
Alex Valle, who signed a season-long loan from Barcelona in the summer, has proved a capable deputy and was outstanding in the 6-0 Premier Sports League Cup semi-final win over Aberdeen at Hampden a week ago.
However, Taylor got the nod to face the Bundesliga giants on matchday four of Europe’s elite competition and was instrumental in the build-up to the crucial second goal, Nicolas Kuhn’s second of a memorable evening.
Rodgers added: “Greg is a specialist in what he does for us and you see the flow of the team. We’ve got different solutions to get through and he’s a massive part of that.
“You saw his importance the other night. The possibility of having two quality players in each position is what you saw.
“We played Alex in the semi, he did fantastically well. Tuesday night was a different game, with what we wanted from it.
“I could bring Greg in and you saw the level he played at, how clean he was, how bright he was, how well he defended, how well he attacked.
“He’s someone I see as a big part of what we’re looking to continue here and I hope over the coming months we can do that.”
Rodgers now had a decision to make for the No.3 position as he prepares his squad for tomorrow afternoon’s Premiership encounter at Kilmarnock.
Taylor, with his prior knowledge of the dodgy plastic surface at Rugby Park, is likely to be in at the start.
