Luke McCowan's former Dundee manager Tony Docherty has revealed the midfielder's unseen reaction to falling out of favour at Celtic, admitting the player is going through a "tough time" after a difficult spell.
The 28-year-old has faced criticism from supporters this season following a series of below-par displays. McCowan was singled out after being dispossessed on the edge of his own box during the Champions League playoff collapse to LASK, allowing the Austrian side to score the decisive fifth goal in extra time.
McCowan subsequently removed himself from Instagram amid growing noise, but has continued to struggle for regular minutes at Celtic Park.
First Start of the Season Ends in Disappointment
The playmaker was handed his first start of the season by Martin O'Neill in the Premiership defeat to Rangers before the international break, but has not played a minute of football since.
The 74-year-old manager has not even included McCowan on the bench for the two league victories over Motherwell and Hearts. O'Neill has instead brought Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain back into the picture, while summer recruit Oliver Sorensen, on loan from Parma, has seen his game time increase.
Docherty's Heart-to-Heart with McCowan
Docherty has disclosed that he held a heart-to-heart conversation with the player, who admitted he is struggling. Speaking on Open Goal, Docherty said: "I saw him yesterday and we had a good chat. We keep in touch regularly.
"That can be difficult [being dropped after a difficult spell]. I know he's going through a bit of a tough time at the moment. All through his career he's been resilient and faced adversity so I would back him to get through it."
McCowan joined Celtic from Dundee in 2024, fulfilling his boyhood dream. He has since won two league titles with the club, as well as the Scottish Cup last season.
An Emotional Departure from Dundee
Docherty admitted it was "emotional" for both himself and the player when McCowan left Dundee. He said: "I was actually quite emotional about it. We were in pre-season and we knew about interest from Celtic.
"It was his boyhood dream to play for Celtic. We were on fire at the start of the season and Luke was my captain because Joe Shaugnessy had a long-term injury. Luke was pivotal for me but I knew he wanted to go. The day it happened, I remember we were training and he was really panicky that it wouldn't happen.
"I then got a phone call during training and after training I brought him into my office and I just shook his hands and said congrats. It was quite emotional. It was a huge thing for him and to get that relief that it was really happening. I missed him personally but for him it was brilliant."
