Celtic

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It was an impressive night on the international stage for two of Celtic's first-teamers on Sunday.

Luis Palma started Honduras' 6-1 win over Bermuda in World Cup qualifying and registered a hat-trick of assists in the comfortable victory.

He also picked up an assist in the 3-1 win over Cuba earlier in the week, with Honduras sitting top of Group A in CONCACAF qualifying.

Meanwhile, Alistair Johnston kept a clean sheet for Canada in a friendly against France.

Johnston was booked in the 37th minute but blocked out a front line that included Olivier Giroud, Ousmane Dembele and Antoine Griezmann.

Celtic striker Kyogo Furushashi says he wants to "remain overseas for as long as I can" amid reports that Urawa Red Diamonds want to tempt the 29-year-old back to Japan this summer. (Gifu-NP via Daily Record, external)

Serie A side Lecce and recently relegated Frosinone rekindle their interest in Celtic defender Gustaf Lagerbielke after missing out on the Swede in January. (Tuto Mercato via Scottish Sun, external)

Adam Idah admits he does not know where his future lies on the 23-year-old striker's return from loan to Celtic and that new Norwich City boss Johannes Hoff Thorup will have the final say as he weighs up his squad options. (Daily Record), external

Read the rest of Monday's Scottish gossip.

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Neil Lennon says James Forrest could have quit Celtic for a Premier League side, but stayed loyal to his boyhood club.

Forrest has made 493 appearances for Celtic with 109 goals and 103 assists for the reigning champions.

Despite not featuring much until the end of the season, the winger came alive to ensure Celtic secured the league title.

"Class is permanent, form is temporary and he's always had the class from when he was 18 years of age," Lennon said.

"He's the first one in the last one away. He's a quiet boy, does his talking on the pitch but he is class and he could've left a long time ago for the Premier League.

"I loved him as a young player, he was so dynamic. The beauty with James is that he can play with both feet, he has that dynamism and he's a brilliant finisher.

"Not only that but he scores big goals in big games. The impact he had for Celtic was huge in the last six weeks, he was really pivotal in them getting over the line."

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Steve Clarke believes Anthony Ralston's possession-based training at Celtic could help Scotland at the Euros.

The right-back started in Friday's 2-2 draw against Finland, with Ross McCrorie in from the off during Monday's meeting with Gibraltar.

With Brendan Rodgers doing keep-ball practice in Celtic training, Clarke believes those principles bled over into Ralston's international outing.

“He was good,” the Scotland boss said. “Start of the game, he was quite safe but kept the ball.

"He obviously plays with a team, a club side who who pass the ball a lot, so I’d imagine their training sessions are pretty much possession based.

"I know Brendan’s (Rodgers) training sessions will be possession-based, so he’s good on the ball, keeps the ball, doesn’t give it away too many times.

“He started to get in the right position, got a few balls into the box, few decent crosses and I was pleased with Tony.”

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Celtic will consider selling Kyogo Furuhashi this summer and want at least £25m for the Japan forward, 29, who has been linked with a move to England. (Football Insider), external

Kyogo wants to "work hard overseas for as long as I can, and if I can come back someday, I'd like to come back to Japan". (Gifu-NP - in Japanese), external

Neil Lennon believes it's "inevitable" former club Celtic will lose Denmark midfielder Matt O'Riley, 23, this summer. (Sun), external

Meanwhile, Celtic are considering re-signing Scotland midfielder Stuart Armstrong, 32, following his release by Southampton. (Football Insider), external

Scotland coach Steve Clarke is confident Celtic's possession-based football will help Anthony Ralston integrate into the national team at Euro 2024 without any problem. (Herald - subscription), external

Fabio Silva's father claims his son had the chance to join Celtic before he arrived at Rangers on loan from Wolves in January. (Record), external

Read Sunday's Scottish gossip

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Neil Lennon has urged Celtic to spend money on signing Adam Idah permanently from Norwich City.

The striker joined Celtic on loan in January and scored nine goals, including the pivotal strike in last month's Scottish Cup final.

"I think there's room for improvement but I think he's got great attributes," former Celtic boss Lennon said.

"I think he's improved. I think the confidence he's had from playing for a big club has improved him already. You saw he scored again the other night for the Republic of Ireland.

"He's had a huge impact coming off the bench and I think he's young enough that there's huge potential in him to bring him on. if they can get him for £4/5m I'd definitely do that one."

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Former Celtic boss Neil Lennon believes the club have the capacity to bid £12m for their summer signings, but says wages could be an issue in bringing high calibre players to Glasgow.

Brendan Rodgers has spoken repeatedly about adding quality as the Scottish champions look to improve on a shoddy European record.

But featuring in the top continental competition could well make the difference in attracking players to Celtic, says Lennon.

"There's a carrot of Champions League for players, that's a big incentive," he told BBC Radio Scotland.

"Do Celtic have the money to go and spend £10-£12m?

They probably do, but can you attract a £10m player plus the wages to come and "play in Scotland? That's the issue that's always there, especially with England on their doorstep.

"They've got a bit of surgery to do on the team. It's not all about £10-£12m players but can you find the nuggets that are out there, bring them in, develop them and then get them playing at that stage."

• Listen to the full interview with Lennon on BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound on Saturday, 8 June from 14:00 BST.

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Scotland and Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney, 27, would "love" to return to former club Celtic and the Gunners are set to listen to offers over the summer. (Football Insider), external

Al-Ittihad are reportedly "welcoming" offers for former Celtic winger Jota amid speculation in Saudi Arabia he could return to the Scottish champions. (Record), external

Celtic and Brentford want to sign Liverpool's second-choice goalkeeper and Republic of Ireland international Caoimhin Kelleher, 25. (Liverpool Echo), external

Bournemouth want £8m Wales defender Chris Mepham, 26, who is of interest to Celtic. (Wales Online), external

Celtic, Ipswich Town and Norwich City are all interested in signing Scotland Under-17 forward Aiden McGinlay, 17, who plays for Queen's Park. (Record), external

Read Saturday's Scottish gossip

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Neil Lennon says he would give "serious consideration" to a Celtic return if an opportunity became available in the future.

The former Celtic skipper and boss has recently returned to management with Romanian side Rapid Bucharest.

Lennon had two spells as manager of Celtic, the latter ending in catastrophic fashion in 2021 as the club's bid for an unprecedented 10th successive title imploded.

The Northern Irishman, 52, says that failure was down to "a million other things" as Rangers eased to their first title in a decade.

"You don't know if people would want you back," Lennon told BBC Scotland.

"I'm ploughing my own furrow now. I had 14 years at Celtic and won 10 titles out of 14, that wasn't bad. Three I lost on the last day of the season as a player and a manager and the one I lost heavily was during Covid.

"My annoyance was people couldn't really see that it wasn't all down to coaching, team tactics, team selection, it was down to a million other things that were going on that caused the problems that weren't football related.

"That annoyed me, considering my record previously. But if an opportunity comes to work at Celtic again in some capacity I'd have to give it serious consideration because I love the club."

Listen to the full interview with Lennon on BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound on Saturday, 8 June from 14:00 BST.

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The results are in. And they may be a surprise.

We asked you to cast your vote on whether the Scottish Premiership should keep VAR or scrap it.

More than 3,000 of you responded to the poll - and while there was a clear majority, it was no landslide.

Those in favour of ditching VAR totalled 67% of voters, while 33% were in favour of favour of keeping it.

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Former Celtic striker Teemu Pukki will relish his return to Glasgow as his Finland side take on Euros-bound Scotland, says former Rangers forward Jonatan Johansson.

The Finnish frontman underwhelmed in his spell at Celtic Park, scoring seven goals in 26 appearances.

After disappointing under Neil Lennon and Ronny Deila, Pukki found his shooting boots at Norwich City, and has always been a key player for his national team.

"He’s important, he's so calm on the pitch as well," Johansson told BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"He's got a really calming influence on all the younger players. He's still quick enough, he's a fantastic finisher with both feet as we know.

"Pukki is coming from Minnesota [United] as well, he's in the middle of the league there with them, so he'll be in good form. He was rested during the week."

He added: "I think he's going to really enjoy this game being back in Glasgow. He really enjoyed his time here.

"I know he didn't really produce his best football at Celtic but he really enjoyed his time in Glasgow."

Celtic have made Sparta Prague goalkeeper Peter Vindahl one of their key targets and the Scottish champions are locked in negotiations despite having to stump up a sizeable fee for the 26-year-old Dane. (Football Scotland), external

Denmark assistant manager Morten Wieghorst says he has spoken to Celtic and his former club are not sure they will be able to keep hold of midfielder Matt O'Riley this summer considering the 23-year-old's player of the year season. (Daily Record), external

Celtic have added 26-year-old Wales centre-half Chris Mepham, who would command a fee of about £8m heading into the final year of his Bournemouth contract, to a list of summer signing targets. (Daily Mail), external

Out-of-favour Celtic centre-half Maik Nawrocki has rejected an approach from Legia Warsaw, but his former club could return for the 23-year-old should he remain out of the picture in Glasgow at the start of the new season. (Sebastian Staszewski on X), external

Johnny Hayes is poised to return to Celtic in a role working with younger players after the 36-year-old winger rejected an offer to remain with Aberdeen. (Scottish Sun), external

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

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Anthony Ralston says he is using Champions League experience with Celtic to prepare for Scotland's Euro 2024 campaign.

The 25-year-old, who was named in Steve Clarke's provisional squad, has not featured in a European match at club level since 2022.

However, having turned out in multiple campaigns in the Champions League and Europa League, Ralston believes his continental know-how can make a difference in Germany.

"It's about taking experiences you've had over the course of your career," he said.

"I've been lucky enough to have been involved in environments and games like that [the Champions League] where it's at the top level, you need to be on top of your game.

"We're lucky that we've got a lot of boys who have played at that level and we've got a lot of experience as well.

"It's the type of games you need to bring all of that, be fully focused and be 100% ready."

When asked how much it would mean to make Clarke's final squad, which will be trimmed from 28 to 26 players on Friday, Ralston added: "It would mean a hell of a lot.

"It's something when you grow up as a young boy, watching tournaments on the TV, you can only dream of being part of one and you work your full career to be in the position to be part of it."

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BBC Scotland will continue to broadcast live matches and highlights from the Scottish Cup for another five years.

The new deal extends the BBC's arrangement of showing a game from each round - up to and including the final - on a free-to-air platform.

The contract also allows the broadcaster to produce "near live digital highlights".

The Scottish Youth Cup final will also be shown live for the next five years.

• Read the full story

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It was on this day 10 years that Celtic fans started scrubbing up on their Norwegian football knowledge.

That's because on 6 June 2014, Ronny Deila was appointed as Parkhead boss, leaving his homeland having won a league title and domestic cup with Stromsgodset.

Roy Keane, Henrik Larsson and Owen Coyle were all linked to the role following Neil Lennon's departure, with Peter Lawell hoping Deila would bring a "bright and energetic way forward" for the club.

Two league titles and a League Cup were the highlights of the young manager's tenure in Glasgow.

However, he announced his intention to leave at the end of the 2015/16 season three days after a Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Rangers, having twice failed to lead Celtic to the group stage of the Champions League.

Deila's managerial resume has been a mixed bag since delivering his last Ronny Roar at Celtic Park.

He returned to Norway to take over at Valerenga, also taking charge at New York City, Standard Liege and Club Brugge.

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Asked about being linked with a move to Celtic, 36-year-old goalkeeper Asmir Begovic said he is "currently looking at options" but is waiting to see what happens with discussions about a new contract with Queens Park Rangers. (TalkSport), external

Liverpool are working on signing a new goalkeeper as they prepare for Caoimhin Kelleher to leave this summer and Premier League rivals could join Celtic in registering their interest in the 25-year-old Republic of Ireland international, who wants first-team football. (Football Insider), external

Peter Grant urges former club Celtic to sign goalkeeper David de Gea, who has been without a club since leaving Manchester United a year ago. (Record), external

Turning Paulo Bernardo's loan into a permanent transfer will cost Celtic less than the reported £6m, with the Scottish champions now expected to offer Benfica £3m up front, with £500,000-worth of add-ons bringing the total transfer fee to £3.5m, with a sell-on clause included for the 22-year-old midfielder. (Daily Mail, print edition)

Aston Villa remain among clubs interested in Kieran Tierney as Arsenal sources confirmed they hope to generate around £25m by selling the out-of-favour Scotland defender this summer. (TeamTalk), external

Crystal Palace are willing to listen to offers for striker Odsonne Edouard this summer but value the 26-year-old, who cost £14m from Celtic in 2021, at £20m. (London News Online), external

Read Thursday's Scottish gossip

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Cameron Carter-Vickers says he thrives off the constant pressure to succeed at Celtic and the "unacceptable" thought of failure.

Since signing for the Glasgow side from Tottenham in 2021, firstly on loan before making the move permanent, the centre-back has been integral in the seven domestic honours the club have won in the following three years.

The United States defender is currently on international duty and is preparing to face Colombia and Brazil in friendlies before the Copa America begins at the end of this month.

"It's a massive club, one thing I like about it is the pressure is always there," Carter-Vickers said when asked by a US-based journalist about his experience of playing for Celtic.

"The title race this year got a bit close and you could see from our fans that it would have been unacceptable to lose it. That definitely helps you and keeps you on your game.

"Football wise, some of the games are really good, some really tough and others not to much. It’s hard to compare to international football."

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Controversy and VAR have been intertwined ever since its implementation in the Scottish top flight in October 2022.

From handball decisions to fouls and penalties, managers and fans alike have had grievances over the technology - and the length of time taken for decisions to be made.

With the 2023-24 season complete and the new campaign a number of weeks away, would you rather see VAR scrapped from Scottish football or persevered with?

Cast your vote here.

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Wolverhampton Wanderers are looking into a potential deal for Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, who wants to leave Liverpool, and would be able to match their Premier League rivals' asking price of about £20m, unlike fellow suitors Celtic. (TeamTalk), external

Scotland's Euro 2024 Group A opponents Hungary lost 2-1 away to Republic of Ireland, with Adam Idah on target after his recent loan spell at Celtic. (Scotsman - subscription), external

Former Hull City and Wigan Athletic midfielder Jimmy Bullard reveals his father kyboshed what would have been a dream move to Celtic. (Football Scotland), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish gossip

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Adam Idah continued where he left off in the Scottish Cup final as the striker opened the scoring for Republic of Ireland in their 2-1 friendly win over Scotland's Euro 2024 group opponents, Hungary, in Dublin.

It was a fourth goal in 25 internationals for the 23-year-old striker, who scored the late winner at Hampden against Rangers as he completed his loan to Celtic from Norwich City.

Idah lost his marker to power a header past helpless Hungary goalkeeper Peter Gulasci to put his side ahead after 35 minutes.

It was a fourth goal in 25 international appearances for the striker, who joined Celtic on loan in February and who has been tipped for a possible return this summer with his future at Carrow Road in the balance.

Celtic centre-half Liam Scales replaced veteran former Parkhead defender Shane Duffy with the scores level at half time.

Meanwhile, Celtic winger Mikey Johnston and 21-year-old uncapped defender Bosun Lawal were unused substitutes along with Aberdeen midfielder Jamie McGrath.