Celtic defender Jack Hendry has suggested that his main aim is to be somewhere he can get regular game time next season to continue his development amid transfer speculation.
Hendry has enjoyed an excellent season out on loan in Belgium with Oostende, and it has been reported by 90 Min that they are keen to re-sign him on a permanent deal from Celtic this summer. That same report added that he would then likely be moved on for a profit to another side.
90 Min also reported that the likes of West Brom, Sheffield United, Burnley and Leeds United would potentially be interested in making a move for the defender this summer.
That comes with him having managed to earn himself a place back in the Scotland squad for the Euros thanks to his form for Oostende.
Speaking to the Daily Record, Hendry has now suggested that he is wanting to prioritise game time next season over everything else with him being keen to continue his development. Although he insisted that his immediate attention is all on Scotland’s Euros campaign at the moment.
He said: “My main focus is just on the Euros and whatever happens afterwards will happen.
“The most important thing for me next season is playing regularly at the highest level possible.
“I think my game has come on a lot this year by playing games.
“I’m in a position now where I’ve got doors open. But even so, I’m not got any other distractions right now. I’m concentrating on these group stages and then we’ll see what happens afterwards.”
The verdict
These are exactly the sort of comments that you would expect from Hendry at this stage and it shows a lot about him that he is wanting to prioritise game time next term over anything else. West Brom and Sheffield United will therefore need to convince the defender that he would be featuring heavily for them in the Championship if they are to make a move.
Hendry is not a name that would have excited supporters of either West Brom or Sheffield United, but he is a player on the up and seems to have the right attitude to continue his recent developments. He has delivered on the potential he has always had during his loan spell with Oostende and that has got him well and truly back in the shop window.
It does seem likely that he will leave Celtic this summer, and he would potentially be a good acquisition for the likes of West Brim and Sheffield United. However, it seems they will have to wait until after Scotland’s Euros campaign to make any move for him.