JONNY HAYES was just beginning to find his feet as a Celtic player when he suffered a leg break up at Dens Park on Boxing Day. That obviously ended his season and began a long and difficult period of rehabilitation as the Irish international winger worked hard to get himself fully fit and ready for the new season.
Hayes has been an extremely popular character in the Celtic dressing room since he joined the Champions in a £1.3million move from Aberdeen last summer. He’s even become the dressing room’s chief tipster for those who like a flutter in the horses and quite a few of the Bhoys are quids in due to the tips supplied by Hayes.
His early form was patchy and he looked a little nervous in a Celtic shirt but gradually he began to show some of his Aberdeen form and was set to make a major contribution on the field in the second half of the season. That’s all behind him now as Hayes looks to make a big impact in his second season as a Celtic star.
“Every day feels like a reward,” Hayes told Celtic TV. “A lot of work went in with the physios and the medical team and it was a long road, but now it feels like every day and getting out in training is a reward for what we have done.
“There were some days when you have that nagging in the back of your head thinking ‘am I going to come back?’ and you’re never 100 per cent sure until you are back and training with the boys.
“I could probably have trained two or three months ago.
“I’m still a bit excited, running around a bit too much.
“It’s been a long time coming, getting back with the boys last week. I don’t take it for granted, it’s exciting to be back in.”
And Hayes was full of praise for Brendan Rodgers, especially for the way that he kept his fellow Irish involved and part of the group, even with his broken leg.
“I wouldn’t say it was frustrating. You want to play but the emphasis the manager has here on the squad, staff and club as a whole, it made it that little bit easier.
“Other clubs I have been at before you would get pushed to one side and forgotten about, but the ethos the manager has here, everyone is in it together and everybody knows we all work towards one goal and because of that I felt more involved.”
