Maloney Going Nowhere?

Martin O’Neill has once again moved to deny any truth in the reports that Shaun Maloney, who played in our friendly v Stoke, is looking to move back to Celtic due to being homesick.

The Daily Record said that talks were at ‘an advanced stage’ but O’Neill says he’s not heard from his former club or spoken to Maloney about it.

He did admit, ‘I know he was a bit homesick but being homesick is one thing and leaving another – and he has not intimated to be about leaving. I will speak to him if it is necessary. But Celtic have not been in touch with me about Shaun. It is news to me.’

O’Neill added on the official site: ‘I wouldn’t really be wanting people to leave the club. But if people are coming in and demanding that for one reason or another, then we will see. I’ll ask the question and if there are genuine reasons for wanting to leave, I’ll listen to them. But if you are talking about Shaun, I have not had that conversation with him. In this day and age, who knows what is happening but Celtic have not approached me.’

So he isn’t going but it isn’t impossible, if the player wanted to leave that he’d be allowed to. But would the Celtic fans welcome him back? Some on Vital Celtic haven’t seemed keen.

Maloney himself denied these stories last month and said there was nothing he could do to stop them.