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Daily Record
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
3 emerging Celtic transfer headlines as Benjamin Nygren timeline and contract details revealed
The Hoops have already brought in Kieran Tierney and Ross Doohan as they look to add further reinforcements. Celtic will look to complete the £1.3million signing of Benjamin Nygren this week. The Hoops have agreed a deal with Danish side Nordsjaelland while personal terms have been thrashed out with the Swedish star. That should see him pen a four-year deal with the option of a further 12 months. A winger had been one of Celtic's main priorities after bringing Kieran Tierney and Ross Doohan back to the club. A deal has also been agreed with Fulham for young striker Callum Osmand while Celts have been linked with Albirex Niigata defender Hayato Inamura. Brendan Rodgers is gearing up for another defence of the Scottish Premiership crown while after Scottish Cup Final disappointment against Aberdeen he will be desperate to put things right in the domestic cups. The Hoops also face the prospect of a Champions League qualifier this year to join the big time. They enjoyed a successful first campaign in the newly revamped league phase of Europe's premier competition and will need to come out on top of a crucial two-legged tie to dine with the big boys once more. You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here. Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football and listen to Record Sport's newest podcast, Game On, every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chunks.
Daily Record
6 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Celtic star stunned by Rangers legend in red-faced return to action against minnows
Alistair Johnston has back on the grass for Canada after missing his crucial spot kick at Hampden against Aberdeen Alistair Johnston had another nightmare on his return to action as 77-year-old former Rangers boss Dick Advocaat pulled off a shock against Canada. The Hoops defender missed the crucial final penalty in the Scottish Cup Final which meant Aberdeen won the trophy at Hampden last month. He was nursing a minor back injury and recently tied the knot with new wife Peyton before heading off on honeymoon to St Lucia. But it was on another Caribbean he returned to action this weekend at the Gold Cup against minnows Curacao, who are now managed by Advocaat, after he came out of retirement for the fifth time to take charge of his eighth international country earlier this year. But after coming on as a late sub, he gave the ball away to former PSV Eindhoven striker Jeremy Antonisse deep into injury time who netted to claim a remarkable 1-1 draw in Houston and kick off off scenes of celebration for the tiny nation. Advocaat - who has now managed the Netherlands three times, Belgium, Russia, Serbia, South Korea, Iraq, UAE and now Curacao - said: "That was a great achievement for us to get a draw against a huge country like Canada. But it was the least we deserved and credit to the players." Canada had gone ahead inside the opening 10 minutes thanks to Nathan Saliba's early strike but Antonisse grabbed a goal in the fouth minute of added time to spark wild scenes. The result leaves Canada top of the section with four points from two games and Curacao currently sit third with two points on the board. They trail Honduras in second spot in the section by a point. You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Celtic star suffers nightmare on international stage as he gifts ex-Rangers boss shock result with stoppage time blunder
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) CELTIC star Alistair Johnston had another nightmare on his return to action as 77-year-old former Rangers boss Dick Advocaat pulled off a shock against Canada. The Hoops defender missed the crucial final penalty in the Scottish Cup Final which meant Aberdeen won the trophy at Hampden last month. Sign up for the Celtic newsletter Sign up 2 Alistair Johnston came off the bench in the tie Credit: Getty 2 He was at fault for the late equaliser in stoppage time Credit: Getty He was nursing a minor back injury and returned to action this weekend at the Gold Cup against Caribbean minnows Curacao, who are now managed by Advocaat, after he came out of retirement for the fifth time to take charge of his eighth international country earlier this year. But after coming on as a late sub, he gave the ball away to former PSV Eindhoven striker Jeremy Antonisse deep into injury time who netted to claim a remarkable 1-1 draw in Houston and speak off scenes of celebration for the tiny nation. Johnston was absent for the tournament opener against Honduras, as well as the recent friendlies against Ukraine and Ivory Coast. Last night was his 54th cap and it was a rare mistake from the right-back who is usually Mr Reliable at the back for Canada. Advocaat - who has now managed the Netherlands three times, Belgium, Russia, Serbia, South Korea, Iraq, UAE and now Curacao - said: "That was a great achievement for us to get a draw against a huge country like Canada. "But it was the least we deserved and credit to the players." Canada still sit top of Group B with four points, while Advocaat's side are sitting in third - one point behind Honduras - with two points. Canada lifted the cup back in 2000 and will be hoping to replicate that triumph this year with their current crop of top stars. They reached the semi-final in 2021 and Johnston was involved in the squad after being called up to the senior team for the first time in January that year. The final of this year's competition will be played on July 7 - three days after Celtic are due to face Queen's Park in a pre-season friendly. What's holding up Nygren Plus Kuhn & Maeda price tags REVEALED Celtic transfer special Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Daily Record
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
I'm an ex Celtic star who bumped into Russell Martin on holiday and here are my true feelings on Rangers appointment
Martin was holidaying in Palma before jetting into Glasgow to become Ibrox boss Charlie Mulgrew was in a world of his own on holiday in Palma - until a familiar face strolled past. Sipping his coffee in a packed local cafe, the ex- Celtic star glanced up and did a double-take. In walked Russell Martin - just hours before jetting into Glasgow to take on one of the biggest jobs in football. Having shared a dressing room with him for Scotland, Mulgrew knows Martin well and holds real admiration for what he's achieved in the dugout. The retired defender even came close to working under him after being given the VIP treatment during transfer talks at MK Dons. Mulgrew was blown away by the level of detail and analysis presented by Martin in his signing pitch. And while he might not be the Hollywood name that some Gers fans craved, Mulgrew reckons it won't take long for the ex-Southampton and Swansea City gaffer to win over his doubters. Speaking at the William Hill SPFL Fixture Launch day, he said: "Listen, I'm not surprised [by the mixed reaction] because I know the mentality up here, Celtic and Rangers. "There's a high standard and expectation in the names that were mentioned for the Rangers job. "Mourinho was mentioned at one stage and Carlo Ancelotti's boy, who has coached at Real Madrid and has quite a high stock as well. "I think when you've not looked too much into Russell Martin, then on the surface, it can maybe disappoint people. "I actually met him in Palma the day before he took the job, randomly sitting in a coffee shop. "Palma was absolutely mobbed. I'm sitting in a coffee shop and he came walking in. He was flying back to take the job. "So having met the guy and spent time with him, he leaves no stone unturned. He's absolutely brilliant at his job. "That's the reason, apart from knowing him, I wanted to go and see him. I know he sticks to his style and how he sees the game. I've always been impressed by that. "He tried to sign me when he was at MK Dons as well, so I got an insight into how he wants to play. He was thorough. "What he sent me as a player that he was looking to sign, within days, was a profile on how he sees me playing. He sent me a big PowerPoint presentation of what he saw and what I could bring to his MK Dons team. "It was so impressive, I've never been sent that before. Knowing him, I think he's a great appointment for Rangers." With the success-starved Light Blues now under American ownership, Martin has been tasked with ending more than a decade of dominance by Celtic. Mulgrew - who won five titles at Parkhead - believes his old club are crying out for genuine competition. And he thinks Brendan Rodgers - still reeling from May's Scottish Cup Final defeat - will be keeping an eye on Ibrox activity this summer. Mulgrew said: "It's going to be interesting to see how Rangers go this year. Celtic need that challenge. They're going to be wary of that. "When Celtic have been dominating for as long as they have and a new manager comes in, they'll obviously have a bit of a wariness about what Rangers are going to bring. "I think Brendan Rodgers has been brilliant at keeping that edge there. Apart from the cup final, where I think everybody was shocked at that. "The shock in Hampden was real to the fact that Celtic hadn't been beaten in finals. I think it was Rodgers' first final he'd been beaten in. So every team needs that wee edge. "When I used to be there, you'd always look at Rangers' results. Have they dropped points? Do we need to get three points to go ahead of them or to catch them up? "I don't think it's been like that recently. Rodgers has been brilliant at keeping them on their toes. "But to have Rangers pushing as well, I'm sure, would keep Celtic right on it." Celtic's Treble-busting Hampden loss to Aberdeen took the shine off what had been another memorable campaign both domestically and in Europe. Mulgrew insists the pain of that defeat will only fuel Rodgers heading into the new season. He added: "I think there'll be something definitely inside him. Being the winner he is, it'll be hurting the fact that he never won the Treble. "It takes a wee bit of shine off the season, even though it's mad how Trebles have become so frequent and such a regular thing for Celtic. "The standards are set so high, but he'll have that wee bit in him that'll give him that desire to push on and try and get it next year. But it is a hard thing to do. "It just shows you how hard it is to get a Treble. Every single game you play. It's a team's final, especially when you've got Europe running alongside it. "It was such a good run in the Champions League. It seems so long ago that people forget about it. "But he'll definitely be eager to go and domestically dominate again this year."
Daily Record
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Kemar Roofe airs his Rangers truths in bombshell address as he calls out Clement for brutally snubbing him
For the first time he's spoken about how he was treated by Clement and the heartache at being left out of the 2024 Scottish Cup Final Four managers in four years. That wasn't the scenario Kemar Roofe envisaged when he got the call from Steven Gerrard to join Rangers in 2020. But that's how it panned out. After Gerrard's title win, Giovanni van Bronckhorst was next in the hot-seat. Despite getting to a European final, the Dutchman was replaced by Michael Beale. And finally, Roofe's final season was under Philippe Clement, who is now also out of a job. Roofe won every trophy in Scotland during his time at Rangers and is proud of what he achieved. But there is also a nagging feeling of what might have been, especially if Gerrard hadn't left for Aston Villa. Roofe also believes the club was wrong to get rid of Beale. And for the first time, he's spoken about how he was treated by Clement - and the heartache at being left out of the 2024 Scottish Cup Final by the Belgian. In part one of an exclusive interview with Record Sport, the former Rangers striker discussed his ex-gaffers - and why he expects Russell Martin to succeed with the backing of the San Francisco 49ers. Roofe loved his time at Ibrox but it ended on a sour note when Clement was in charge, after he was left in the stands at Hampden for that vital Old Firm clash. Roofe said: 'How was Clement with me? Yeah, interesting. 'It was difficult. He stopped wanting to use me because I wasn't going to be there the following season. 'I understood that he wanted to work with players he was going to work with. 'But not to the detriment of winning games for Rangers. 'Even if I wasn't going to be there the following year, I was still going to give 100 percent during my time. 'That's just my character but maybe he didn't understand my character. 'I still felt that I should have played a lot more games to help Rangers win more - especially in the Scottish Cup Final. 'It would have helped the manager so I don't understand it. 'It obviously hasn't helped him now. I genuinely felt if I'd played more I could have made a difference. 'He left me out of the final against Celtic at Hampden. I was fit to play but wasn't in the squad and had to sit in the stand. 'Earlier that season, I had a big moment when I scored the winner against Real Betis in Spain. 'That should have proved to him that I was still giving 100 percent. You'd think that would be the case. 'As a manager you need to know your players properly. 'But Clement obviously didn't know or understand me well enough.' Before Clement, Beale had taken over from van Bronckhorst at Ibrox. And despite injuries curtailing his impact on the team at that time, Roofe is adamant the Englishman should have been given more time to build something at Rangers. He said: 'It was frustrating because I hardly played under Michael due to injuries and I wanted to give him something back. 'He's one of the best coaches I've ever had. His coaching is top quality. 'And the way he wants to play football suits me so much. 'When you've got that, it's really enjoyable and you want to play. 'Michael deserved more time in the job. if he got that, he could have turned things around. 'Just because of his way of playing. It was very similar to Steven's and we'd had success with it. It was enjoyable to play in. 'We didn't have that enjoyment of football again. 'I even heard comments from fans saying how boring the games were after that. 'When you keep changing managers at a club, it's not good for continuity or rhythm. 'Everything gets thrown out the window. It becomes too chaotic.' In Roofe's first season at Ibrox, he'd been Gers' top scorer as they won the title under Gerrard. Which was exactly what the manager had targeted when he enticed the striker to Ibrox. Roofe said: 'I was in Belgium with Anderlecht and got a call out of the blue from the manager, Vincent Kompany, saying Rangers had put a bid in and it had been accepted. 'As soon as Steven rang me - with his legendary status - he got my attention. 'I knew how big Rangers were. 'When I was at Leeds, I played alongside Stuart Dallas and Liam Cooper. 'They were big Rangers fans so they'd always go on about the club. 'Steven just spoke about wanting to win the title and playing European football. 'He believed in me and liked my style. When someone of that stature speaks well of you, it gives you ultimate confidence. 'That first season was strange due to Covid. Because there were no fans, it didn't feel like being a footballer. 'You felt more like a machine. You turned up every day to do your job and win. 'Then you'd go home, isolate, before getting up to do the same again. 'But we achieved what we had to achieve that season. The main focus was always winning the league. 'When I spoke to Steven about the aims, it was that we HAD to win the title. 'As much as I wanted to win the Europa League or go as far as we could - it wasn't ever as important as winning the league. 'And after doing it, I realised how important it was and why it was so important to supporters. 'To be part of that team who did 55, and to be top scorer, is a good feeling. We'll always be remembered for that. 'And people forget we were invincible that season as well too." Gerrard's departure the following season to Villa stunned everyone at Ibrox. Roofe is adamant that if the Rangers hierarchy had backed their manager more at that time - the club could have enjoyed more success. Instead, they allowed Celtic to dominate Scottish football again. Roofe said: "The ideal situation would have been Steven staying and making a few positive additions to the squad. 'If we'd have done that, I feel we could have kept growing. 'But that wasn't the case. We weren't able to grow from the season before because the gaffer left and we didn't really get players in to help. 'It was the perfect chance for the club to kick on but we didn't do it. 'We'd won the title and did well in the Europa League. In any business, when you do well you invest to kick on. 'But we didn't do that. A lot of players left, were sold or - contract-wise - weren't in a positive place. 'That affected us the next season. If I could go back, I'd love us to have invested in the squad and had a massive push. 'That's what Celtic have been able to do since then.' Rangers now have Martin in charge after Clement's exit. But it's Rangers' new American owners - and the influence of the 49ers - which Roofe believes can help the club get back to the top. He said: 'I think good times are ahead for Rangers under Russell. 'They've got owners in there now who are ambitious and won't mess about. 'They'll want Rangers back in the Champions League and respected again around the world. 'So they'll want quick results. I've seen what the 49ers have done at Leeds and they've been massive in their success. 'I've spoken to people involved at the 49ers and everything I've heard is positive. 'But at Rangers, it only comes down to one thing - you have to win. 'Before I got there, there was no silverware. And it's the same now. 'They have to get back to winning ways.' ** Kemar Roofe has launched his own Player Journal at **
