Celtic may already regret six-figure Plymouth Argyle deal: View | OneFootball

Plymouth Argyle doing business with Celtic shows that the Devonshire club are heading in the right direction.

The loan deal for Turkish striker Nadir Ciftci may not have worked out in 2017, but the latest dealing between the two is proving worthwhile so far.

Goalkeeper Conor Hazard has adjusted well to Championship football and is even staking a claim for the gloves ahead of Plymouth Argyle academy graduate Michael Cooper.

Conor Hazard’s Celtic tenure

Conor Hazard was with Celtic as a teenager in the youth ranks before going on to make seven first-team appearances for the Scottish giants.

The Northern Ireland international was unable to make himself a mainstay at Parkhead, which resulted in a few loan moves to other teams domestically.

Finland was Hazard’s most recent destination though, appearing in 39 games for HJK Helsinki last season.

During his time in the Finnish capital, the shot-stopper kept 14 clean sheets and conceded 45 goals, a very respectable return indeed.

His exploits for HJK clearly caught the eye as he was named Goalkeeper of the Season for the top division. This was, once again, a loan move though, and he was still a Celtic man struggling to work his way up the Bhoys’ pecking order.

That was until Plymouth Argyle came calling, the newly promoted Championship club paying an undisclosed fee, but it was "widely reported to be in the region of £150,000".

Battling Michael Cooper for the starting spot

Conor Hazard went straight into the starting XI after arriving at Home Park, making his league debut on the opening day of the season, as his new team beat Huddersfield Town 3-1.

Hazard was in a fairly fortunate situation under Steven Schumacher with the regular number one Michael Cooper, a fan’s favourite, still out of action following a substantial cruciate ligament tear.

The 25-year-old has gone on to make 20 Championship appearances and counting due to the fact that Cooper picked up another injury upon his return to the fold.

Celtic may regret agreeing six-figure fee for Conor Hazard

Celtic may well be regretting letting Hazard go, even if it’s just that they think they could have got more money out of the permanent transfer.

After all, Cooper was in between the sticks for the League One Team of the Season for two consecutive years, in spite of the fact that he was sidelined for the last few months of Argyle’s title-winning campaign.

New Greens' boss Ian Foster was full of praise for his goalkeeper in the wake of the recent league victory over Swansea City.

Foster had the following to say to BBC Sport, "He's been outstanding since I've come into the football club, and he's going to have to be.

"His attitude and his application since I've been here have been first class, he's a big boy, and he's capable of making big saves, and he's proved that today."

Morgan Whittaker continued his impressive run in front of goal against his former employers, scoring the only goal of the game across the border in Wales.

Not only was Whittaker on top form at the top end of the pitch, but Hazard played his part in goal too, making five saves, having 39 touches and facing an xG of 0.76.

Hazard’s excellence in the absence of Cooper is a true blessing for Argyle, a team who many thought would be embroiled in a relegation battle at this stage of the season.