Board failings aside, Stephen Welsh return to Celtic makes perfect sense

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The Celtic Star

·12. Januar 2026

Board failings aside, Stephen Welsh return to Celtic makes perfect sense

Some supporters are unhappy with the decision to recall Stephen Welsh, but at this particular moment it makes nothing but perfect sense…

With Cameron Carter Vickers out for a lengthy spell, and Austin Trusty rumoured to have picked up a knock at the weekend, then bringing back a player who knows the club and league inside out is a shrewd move indeed.

In my opinion we need a new centre back for the title run in, as we have no serious back up options, but with two difficult league fixtures on the horizon in Falkirk and Hearts, both away from home, it’s vital what we move to sort out that area immediately. So what better way to do so in recalling a player who is not only still on our books, but one who is performing well at this moment in time?

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Stephen Welsh at Tannadice, Dundee Utd v Celtic, Sunday 22 December 2024. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Stephen by all accounts has been performing well under the guidance of Jens Berthel Askou at a Motherwell side who have been a stand out side in the Scottish Premiership this campaign, with not just their style of play, but their defensive side of the game, a part that Stephen has played an important part in.

Presently Motherwell have the joint best defensive record in the league, conceding only 17 goals, with Welsh a vital component in the Motherwell defence.

More importantly, Stephen’s been playing regularly and his confidence is high, helped by getting regular game time under a highly regarded manager in a side who play a similar style of football as his parent club.

Martin O’Neill also has a great track record of instilling belief into players, and if Stephen Welsh is to be thrown back into first team action, then I have no doubts that he will be a steady performer at the heart of our defence. But of course, recruiting a new centre back is still a high priority.

As a right sided centre-back he will also provide a balance we have lacked by having two right footed players on the right of our defence – Julian Araujo and Stephen Welsh – and two left footed defenders on the other side in Liam Scales and Kieran Tierney.

Martin O Neill with Julian Araujo. Celtic v Dundee United, Scottish Premiership, Football, Celtic Park, 10 January 2026. Stuart Wallace/Shutterstock

The lack of transfer activity twelve days into the January window is alarming and tells its own story of boardroom failure, confirming what we already know. The damage that has been done already this season has been massive, with only Martin O’Neill now able to save our season and even he is starting to sound the alarm bells over boardroom failings on his watch.

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