Celtic ‘keen on James McFadden’
Scottish Premier League (SPL) giants Celtic are believed to have picked out James McFadden as their next transfer target. With winger Aiden McGeady on the verge of signing for Russian Premier League (RPL) side Spartak Moscow, last season’s SPL runners-up will have a big void to fill on the touchlines. As a result, Sky Sports have reported that manager Neil Lennon is looking to recruit McFadden, currently at English Premier League outfit Birmingham City.
McFadden has less than a year left on his contract at City and with McGeady’s sale expected to boost Celtic’s offers to the tune of around £10m, Lennon looks to be ready to splash out to secure the services of the Scotland international. With McFadden yet to agree on an extension with Alex McLeish’s team, he may be tempted by the prospect of being able to play for his boyhood heroes at Celtic Park.
The 27-year-old McFadden started his career with SPL side Motherwell, where he came to prominence after a stellar season in 2002-03. That year saw him score 19 goals from 35 games in all competitions. He also picked up the Scottish Young Player of the Year award for his efforts.
Snapped up by Everton
McFadden's talents attracted the attention of Everton boss David Moyes, who snapped up the player in 2003. At Everton, he scored just 11 goals from 109 EPL appearances. Towards the end of his time at Everton, he was subject of a failed bid by Celtic to take him on loan.
In January 2008, McFadden joined Birmingham City on a three-and-a-half year deal. Although he has played in most of Birmingham’s games in his time at the club, he has netted just 13 times in 76 games.
Although McFadden has had varying degrees of success at club level, he is commonly regarded as somewhat of a talisman when playing for his country. His sensational 35-yard winner against France in a 2008 UEFA European Championships qualifier gave Scotland one of their most famous victories in recent years, and McFadden has become an incredibly important player for his country.
Tags: