Celtic have a few players whose contracts are up at the end of this season, and after the flurry of extensions that have been handed out to the likes of Matt O’Riley and Reo Hatate amongst others, fans are wondering if and when we will see a deal on the table for David Turnbull.
The 24-year has been at the club since 2019 and has been something of a bit-part player over the last few years, but with injuries limiting the amount of game time Reo Hatate has been able to see so far this season, Turnbull has started nine out of the 12 league games to date.
Celtic still haven’t tied him down to a new deal yet, which has led to fans and the media asking questions about the player’s future. Could Turnbull’s situation be more complicated than just putting pen to paper?
Good rotation player
The importance of a steady and reliable option from the bench is often understated, with the likes of Anthony Ralston and David Turnbull both receiving unfair criticism in recent years despite always doing the job asked of them when deployed.
As far as a fourth choice midfielder goes, Turnbull is a great option to have waiting in reserve, and that is evidenced by some of his performances this season. He started the campaign positively with a brace against Ross County at Celtic Park and in the last two league fixtures he has been in amongst the goals, scoring two incredible efforts from outside the area. These strikes have demonstrated his skill from long-distance which is vital when playing against the tricky low-blocks that you so often come up against in Scottish football.
He was also one of the top chance creators, involved whenever Celtic looked threatening going forward, and as a good technical player, he is someone Celtic will be looking to keep around, and Brendan Rodgers has emphasised that point.
The manager said, “There have been talks with his agent and the club, I believe, but I’m not sure what the latest on that is. For us, David is a player we would like to keep, so it’s not us here on the club side. He has to do what he thinks is right for himself.”
Why are talks dragging out?
As much as you play as a part of a team in football, the sport is all about individuals, as everyone has their own personal goals and objectives they are looking to achieve in their career.
No-one wants to be a rotation player, and with aspirations of playing in the Scotland squad, David Turnbull probably doesn’t want to be sitting on the bench at Celtic in this stage of his career. It would be no surprise, therefore, if he is keeping his cards close to his chest to see if a move for more first-team football presents itself. This is something that Brendan Rodgers is completely understanding of as he has stated that, “David is still young, but I think when you get to that age you do want to play and be a starter. But if you want to be a starter at Celtic it’s that intensity and ambition you need to show, every game you play. There is no doubt he is a talented player. You see his goal the other night. There are not many who can score goals of that quality.”
Turnbull possesses the qualities necessary to be a starter for Celtic, but with intense competition for places in the midfield, you have to work hard and possess the ambition to nail down that position.
He has the backing of the manager, but he may feel that he needs a move to pastures new to get some more consistent first-team football.
JAMES MCKENZIE // Follow James HERE
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