Brendan Rodgers admits ‘real shame’ as James McCarthy set to leave Celtic

Brendan Rodgers has admitted that James McCarthy will likely leave the club before the end of the summer transfer window. The Irishman felt that it was a shame that the 32-year-old had failed to make the desired impact at the club as injuries curtailed his involvement in the first team.

Speaking ahead of Celtic’s trip to Rugby Park to face Kilmarnock, Rodgers was asked about outgoings and McCarthy’s name cropped up.

“It’s a real shame for James, because growing up he was obviously a Celtic supporter.

“I saw him a lot in the Premier League and he was a fantastic talent. He’s a great guy but sadly a few injuries and niggles have curtailed his time here so he will be looking to move on. There’s been interest and his agent and the club are trying to agree on a compromise.”

The compromise will likely see Celtic pay McCarthy a lump sum of money in lieu of this season’s wages and allow a new team to sign the former Ireland Internationalist. It is disappointing that it never worked out for James in a Celtic shirt but he did play his part in a successful two seasons. Last season in October, McCarthy was instrumental in Giorgos Giakoumakis’ late winner at St Johnstone.

McCarthy arrived at Celtic as a free agent from Crystal Palace in 2021. The player signed a four-year deal, which raised eyebrows; however, he was coming in during a period of upheaval at the club and it was believed that he could potentially step into the shoes of Scott Brown. As it transpired, McCarthy found it challenging to get going. He contracted COVID-19, found himself injured and then found himself out of favour. While Callum McGregor was out, he enjoyed a brief spell in the team but always looked like he was getting up to speed. Two years later and twenty-seven appearances later, it would be in everyone’s interests if the player were to be moved on.

Good luck, James.