Celtic supporters have spent the last couple of days digesting a fascinating interview with David Templeton, and plenty of them are admitting it was a stranger story than they ever imagined. Templeton described being at Murray Park until about two in the morning trying to get his move sorted, and said it got even weirder when his agent took a call from Neil Lennon about a possible move. For a club the Hoops faithful thought they knew inside out, it was a jaw-dropper. (celtsarehere)
The part that really caught fans off guard was how close Celtic came to landing him. Templeton explained that Celtic’s plan involved waiting until his Hearts contract ran out, with the move to Parkhead coming the following summer. That sounds sensible on paper, but it left him exposed. He claims Hearts told him that if he refused to sign for Rangers, he would not play for them again, because the club badly needed the money. Suddenly a routine transfer saga looks more like an ultimatum with a financial gun to the head. (celtsarehere) (celtsarehere)
It is easy to see why supporters are struggling to process it. Templeton admitted he was tempted by Celtic, who were in the Champions League while Rangers had just dropped down the divisions. Instead, he faced the prospect of either waiting a year for Parkhead or sitting out the final stretch of his deal without regular football. Many fans are now wondering how different the story might have been if Celtic had moved faster, or if Hearts had not been so desperate for cash. (celtsarehere)
There is a lesson in all of this about timing and patience in the transfer market, something Celtic fans have debated for years. Waiting for a contract to expire can save money and still cost you the player. Reading the full interview, it is hard not to feel that the Hoops were a few hours and a few decisions away from a very different chapter. Whether that is a source of regret or just a good story is up to you, but nobody is shrugging it off.
