Stoke and Ireland midfielder Liam Lawrence expects to complete his move to Celtic when fellow Ireland international Aiden McGeady finally leaves the Parkhead club.
McGeady will pen a four-year deal with Spartak Moscow this week and hand boss Neil Lennon an extra £9.5million towards his transfer kitty as he tries to reshape his squad ahead of the start of the SPL season.
Lawrence has been a long-time target of the Hoops and reckons his transfer will be given the green light when McGeady jets out to Russia.
He said: “Well, that’s what I’ve been told. I want a new challenge and, if it comes about, I will be chomping at the bit to achieve things at Celtic because they need to push this year and win things again.
“I have had some little bits of banter with Aiden as well.
“I spoke to him the other day and fired him a text because I knew he was off to Russia. I’m not telling you what I said though.
“It’s a massive, massive move for him and it’s an important decision both football-wise and for him and his missus.”
The capture of the Irish international will represent the next piece of the jigsaw for Lennon as he continues his summer rebuilding work.
And Lawrence insists the Hoops are still an attractive prospect despite their Champions League exit at the hands of Braga last week.
“I’m not one of those players who say they want to move because a club is in the Champions League,” he said.
Former Northern Ireland manager Brian Hamilton has openly supported the right of players born in the North of Ireland to choose their own international future. Speaking on RTE radio, Hamilton stated that while he would prefer players to play for Northern Ireland, he accepted that players had the right to play for Ireland and that their choice should be respected by the IFA.
Hamilton’s interview echoes those of present Ireland players like Shay Given who has supported the right of Darron Gibson and Marc Wilson to play for Ireland and also echeos the support of people and politicians the length and breadth of the island who accept that Irishmen have the right to represent Ireland, as is reflected in FIFA’s own rules.
The eligibility issue has again reared its head as the IFA continue their campaign to stop young players having the right to represent their country at international level. The IFA have recently brought the issue to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, despite 3 previous rulings from FIFA stating that the existing situation of players born in the 6 counties being able to represent Trapattoni’s Ireland, remains.
Hamilton, who managed Northern Ireland for 5 years during the 1990’s said that he had respected the decisions of players to opt to play for Ireland during his time as a manager & that some players simply wanted to play for Ireland, rather than the North. Hamilton continued that it was their choice, a choice he fully accepted.
In what perhaps could be construed as a criticism of the Present boss of the North’s team, Nigel Worthington, Hamilton said that he only ever did interviews relating to sporting issues when he was manager and left the other issues to those who dealt with those matters. He stated that managers should only be concerned about the football and the players.
Worthington has been very vocal in his support for the IFA’s campaign to stop Irish players representing Ireland and has totally failed to grasp the concept that players like Gibson, Wilson etc.., like a large percentage of football supporters in the North have always supported and followed Ireland and it is totally natural to want to represent your national side, as has been talked about by County Antrim born international Marc Wilson.
Hamilton has also again voiced his support for the concept of an all Ireland football team and said it would be ‘something very special’ to have an all Ireland side in the future.
Hamilton is one of the many former northern Ireland players who have openly supported the formation of an all Ireland team. Both Martin O’Neill and Pat Jennings have spoken of their support for a single team on the island, former greats George Best and Derek Dougan spoke openly of their support and current Celtic caretaker boss Neil Lennon was abused by thousands of Northern Ireland fans at Windsor Park after a press interview in which he supported the formation of an all Ireland team.
