Celtic have been urged to snap up out-of-contract Scotland stars Angus Gunn and Ross Stewart. The free agents are currently on World Cup duty in the USA as Steve Clarke's side prepares for their long-awaited opener against Haiti this weekend.
While helping the country make history will be at the forefront of their minds over the coming weeks, Gunn and Stewart will also have a platform to showcase their talents to potential suitors.
Angus Gunn's Situation
Keeper Gunn, 30, is looking for his next club after a forgettable year at Nottingham Forest, where he made just one Premier League appearance. The ex-Norwich City star could be handed the gloves ahead of veteran Craig Gordon for the must-win Group C blockbuster in Boston.
Former Scotland striker Paul Dickov reckons Gunn will be on Celtic's radar as they hunt for a new shotstopper to replace retired Kasper Schmeichel. He said: “Yes, he will be. Angus' last couple of seasons have been very unfortunate with Nottingham Forest. We all know the merry-go-round of managers who were there. A new manager comes in and wants to bring his own players in and has his own ideas. The circumstances of Angus’ move didn’t help. The one thing that can never be questioned is his performance in a Scotland shirt. He’s been outstanding every time he's been called upon, even more so, considering that he's not been playing regular first-team football. Angus will be looking to perform at the World Cup first and foremost for Scotland, for his country, and for himself. What better place to put yourself than Scotland? There's going to be a lot of clubs watching, and if he can manage to have a good tournament, there won’t just be one or two clubs that will be interested. There'll be a lot of suitors for him.”
After a year in exile at Forest, Dickov believes Gunn can follow in ex-Hoops goalie Gordon's footsteps by resurrecting his career at Parkhead. He said: “Craig has done wonderfully well after these injury problems. It shows that getting regular first-team football, especially for a goalkeeper, is so important. From Angus’ point of view, to have Craig alongside him, who's been there, seen it, done it, who’s been out with injuries and been left out, leaving him having to resurrect his career. Angus has got somebody there that he can really look up to and call upon if needed.”
Ross Stewart's Potential Move
Meanwhile, ex-Arsenal and Manchester City hitman Dickov believes Stewart would be an immediate upgrade to Martin O'Neill's profligate frontline. Stewart is currently embroiled in a messy legal row with Southampton over his contract extension after the 'Spygate' controversy. Saints have attempted to trigger a 12-month clause, but it's believed Stewart has instructed his lawyers to examine the terms of his deal after the club were kicked out of the Championship play-off final.
Dickov believes luring the ex-Ross County goal machine back home would be a no-brainer. He added: “Ross has got a lot of qualities, his size, his strength, he’s very quick. What's rare in a centre forward nowadays is that he wants to run in behind as well. He’s different to what Celtic have got. If he is going to leave Southampton, there will be a lot of clubs that will be interested in him. It shows you, purely on the back of an FA Cup run, the exposure it can give you. He did ever so well in the Arsenal game and did well against Manchester City. The exposure he's got from both games, as well as the season they had in the Championship, but especially those two games, have opened the eyes of quite a few people. There'll be a lot more people interested now.”
Paul Dickov was speaking on behalf of Gamble Mind.
