Celtic player provides verdict on Parkhead future amid uncertainty while eyeing up first International call-up
The Hoops loanee has provided an update on his future as he continues to perform consistently in the Scottish Premiership.
Ahead of Motherwell’s Saturday night trip to Paisley against St Mirren, Celtic loanee Stephen Welsh has provided an update on his Parkhead future.
The 26-year old signed for the Lanarkshire side at the start of the season on a short-term deal but was recalled by Martin O’Neill in January as he looked for more defensive reinforcement. After making just two appearances on his Hoops return, Welsh was farmed back out to Fir Park on Deadline Day, where he has maintained his rich vein of form.
The Celtic defender done his parent club a favour as earned The Steelmen a point against Rangers with a late equaliser on his first game back, while he was a towering figure at the back in their league clash against Aberdeen. He was however helpless in their Scottish Cup defeat at Pittodrie on Wednesday night having already featured for Celtic in the competition against Auchinleck Talbot.
In a high-flying Motherwell side who continue to defy the odds on the fringes of the Premiership title race, much speculation has been made about Welsh’s future and whether a permanent deal could be on the cards. The defender is set to return to Celtic in the summer, however his Parkhead contract will run out in June 2027.
Welsh on Celtic future
Welsh is hoping everything will work itself out in the summer and insists his full focus is currently on Motherwell. When asked whether his future beyond this season is something on his mind, he responded: “No, not necessarily, hopefully everything will fall into place in the summer.
“But just now, all I’m thinking about is playing as many games as I can, playing as well as I can and showing what I can do. As I said, being in such a good team and having such good players around you, with good staff and a great manager, it can only be positive.”
Motherwell boss Jens Berthel Askou has revolutionised a Motherwell team that finished eighth last season. Having lost just three games all season, they currently sit fourth in the league and have been praised for their free-flowing brand of football.
Welsh keeps fingers crossed for first International call-up
While their attacking prowess has been well-documented, Welsh has also been part of a defence that has been rock solid, particularly at home. Before Nico Raskin’s opener for Rangers at Fir Park earlier this month, they’d kept nine clean sheets in a row at home, with the Celtic loanee having a big part to play.
Having represented at Scotland at almost every youth level, Welsh is yet to earn his first senior cap, so is hoping that Steve Clarke has been watching him this season ahead of the summer’s World Cup. When asked if he thinks he’s playing the best football of his career, he replied: “I would say so aye, before coming in I seen the managers vision and the lads play a few games. So that’s helped me as well as you need the players around you to be performing.
“I think every Scottish kids dream is to go and play at a World Cup, but look, I’ve never been called up for the senior side yet. I think I’d be lying if I was to say I didn’t want a call up, that would obviously be fantastic but at the moment I’m completely focused on what I’m doing here at Motherwell, and the better I play the more chance I’ve got.”