Why should Celtic keep hold of Ryan Christie and offer a new contract
According to Scotland Herald, Ryan Christie is hoping that his outstanding performance in the Betfred Cup semi-final would help him get a contract extension and some regular playing time under Brendan Rodgers.
The 23-year-old came on at half-time in the game to replace the injured Olivier Ntcham and was simply fantastic. He won a penalty that Scott Sinclair converted, set up the Hoops’ second goal for James Forrest and then netted a fabulous goal to wrap the game up. He did all those things in the space of 19 second-half minutes – talk about impact off the bench.
The youngster has struggled for regular game time since joining the Parkhead club in 2015. He has had loan moves to Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Aberdeen.
The attacking midfielder is out contract at the end of this season, however, he is optimistic that Celtic would give him a new contract. (Scotland Herald)
Here’s why the Hoops should concur with this and keep hold of the 23-year-old beyond next summer:
Christie’s quality is there to be seen
Ryan Christie is a quality player who can predominantly operate as an attacking midfielder. However, when required, the manager can deploy him on either wing and expect a positive return. The impactful performance against Hearts showed that he possesses the propensities to be a proper Celtic player.
The 23-year-old literally changed the game on its head in the space of 19 minutes, that too against the leaders of the Scottish Premiership in a cup semi-final. One can imagine the confidence boost he would have got after putting up such an influential display.
The fans should be delighted and the manager must be in awe as to how a player who hasn’t featured much managed to turn a tight contest around.
It really shows the quality that Christie has and the possible talent he can bring to the table if given a regular chance. Hence, Celtic should offer him a new long-term contract and assure him that he has a future at the club.
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The young Scot possesses everything to be a top attacking midfielder for the Hoops. Rodgers loves to work with young players who show the character and the desire to succeed. He should help Christie polish his game further and become a huge part of the future at Celtic.