Exclusive:The 'only reason' Celtic loanee's winter transfer happened as sole factor stops him reaching 'higher level'
The defender is embarking on his fifth senior loan spell after previous stints at Aberdeen, St Johnstone, Fleetwood Town and Motherwell
Adam Montgomery might be facing an uncertain future at Celtic - but the versatile left-sided defender has been backed to shine on loan at Championship side Queen’s Park as he links up with a familiar face.
Embarking on his FIFTH loan spell away from Parkhead in recent years, the 22-year-old full-back was a regular in the Celtic squad during the Covid-affected season but has struggled to force his way into Brendan Rodgers plans in recent times.
A forgotten figure in Glasgow’s east end, Montgomery - who made his Hoops first-team debut back in 2021 - is a player that Spiders boss Davidson knows well. The former St Johnstone double-cup winning manager worked with the player during his stint at McDiarmid Park three years ago.
Davidson is well aware of the attributes Montgomery possesses, but he reckons there is only one factor that has prevented him from signing for another top-flight club following previous spells at Aberdeen, Fleetwood Town and Motherwell.
Contracted to Celtic until the summer of 2027, Montgomery has joined the Hampden outfit just days before their Scottish Cup last-16 tie against Rangers at Ibrox. A serious injury during his most recent spell at Motherwell prevented him from making a single appearance.
Speaking to GlasgowWorld, Davidson is confident Montgomery can rediscover his best form and throw himself a career lifeline at Celtic.
“I had Adam at St Johnstone, he was fantastic towards the end of his time there,” Davidson admitted. “He’s missed a big chunk of football with injury and I think that’s the only reason we’re probably getting him. Because if it wasn’t he’d probably be playing at a higher level.
“So I think it’s really important for Adam that he gets minutes into his legs, he needs to play games. He’s a top quality player and hopefully Queen’s Park can see that and we can see that and this loan will benefit both parties. That’s the reason we brought him in.
“It’s just about getting him minutes on the pitch and the more we do that, the better he’ll become.”
The Queen’s Park boss had a busy end to the January transfer window with Montgomery, Adam Devine (Rangers), Kyle Hurst (Doncaster Rovers) and Jadan Raymond (Crystal Palace) all recruited on loan deals.
Assessing their transfer deadline, Davidson commented: “Going forward, I’m really pleased (with the players we’ve brought in). A couple of them are cup-tied this weekend, both Adams’ are still getting up to speed and we’ve got two lads in from down south as well. All good additions.
“We have lost a few, so we are a young, small squad. I think for me it’s important that the players with a bit more experience can help the younger lads through the game.
“There will be times on Sunday when it’ll be tough, but we need to use guys like Welshy (Sean Welsh), Louis (Longridge), those kind of guys to help the young ones through. It’s a learning experience for them, it can only make them better.”