Celtic have been told to sign former England International goalkeeper Tom Heaton as the 35-year-old looks to get himself playing ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Heaton was on the periphery of Gareth Southgate’s team for the 2018 World Cup in Russia after an impressive season with Burnley.
Heaton sealed a move to Aston Villa in 2019 but suffered a serious knee injury in a win over Burnley in early 2020. Since then, Villa signed Martinez from Arsenal for £18m and Heaton’s game time has dried up with outings for the Villa U23s. However, former England keeper Paul Robinson told Football Insider that he thinks Celtic could offer an excellent opportunity to both the player and the club.
“Tom Heaton is a possibility. Logistically, would he be willing to move to Glasgow? I’m not sure. He might be very settled with his family.
“It would be a huge opportunity for him to play at one of the biggest European clubs though. Could he turn that opportunity down?
“It would be a great signing for Celtic. Heaton would be a great signing for any club. He is a top-class, reliable goalkeeper who would be perfect for Celtic next season.”
Celtic have struggled to replace Fraser Forster and Craig Gordon with both players leaving last summer. The club decided to sign Vasilis Barkas for £4.5m from AEK Athens, who has thus far been unimpressive. Barkas, Scott Bain and Conor Hazard have all been utilised as No.1 but the defensive mistakes have continued without the commanding presence in the goals.
Heaton has played 377 games in his career, making 3 appearances for England in spells in England’s top flight and the Championship. Celtic will likely go to the market for a new goalkeeper in the summer as they look to build back better after a poor season. The experience of a player like Heaton could help as the club lose longstanding captain Scott Brown. The Athletic reports that the player is considering his future.