BRENDAN RODGERS has revealed he’s given up hope of Greg Taylor agreeing a new deal at Celtic.
The left-back has been in talks over a contract extension for months.
Brendan Rodgers has admitted he expects Greg Taylor to leave for free in the summer[/caption]
But negotiations have now stalled – with Rodgers admitting he’ll need to look elsewhere for back-up for incoming Kieran Tierney.
He said: “My idea was always to keep Greg and it still is.
“But I’ve been in this position so many times and I can read situations.
“It’s probably more likely now that Greg will move on than stay, which is a big shame for me because I love him as a person.
“And I love his game because it’s suited to how we work.
“It’s not financial but I respect his position because he wants to feel he’ll play every week.
“Whoever is in next year with Kieran will still play a lot of games but my feeling is that Greg may well move on.
“I know between now and the end of the season he’ll give his all.”
Celts extended their lead at the top of the Premiership with a 3-0 home win overt Hearts.
Daizen Maeda took his tally for the season to 30 with a double with Jota also hitting the net.
Rodgers added: “It’s not bad for someone who isn’t supposedly a goalscorer!
“I just think whoever he plays, he’s so honest to the game.
“If he’s on the side he’s pressing and getting in behind looking to cross.
“If he’s through the middle then he’s penetrating centrally.
“I spoke to him about the set-up in the first-half where he needed to take an extra touch to link the game a little bit better.
“But I think what everyone is seeing now is his actual finishing quality.
“There is also a variety in his finishing.
“He’s getting in to score his one-v-ones with left foot, right foot and headers.
“He’s got a real good repertoire of finishes.
“Listen, I don’t have a magic ball but before I came in here I looked at the players I was going to work with and I could see his history at Yokohama.
“I could see his numbers and his types of goals.
“In my first pre-season back our in Japan, he scored a hat-trick. I could see his movement and his runs and his finishing.
“Of course, we had Kyogo here with Adam Idah.
“But I always like to have a press at the top end of the pitch who brings intensity to the game.
“For me, he brings that with the runs. And goals.”
Rodgers was thrilled with the victory which takes Celts closer to the title.
He added: “We were very good.
“We needed to respond after our last home game here and it’s never easy coming back after the international break.
“We’ve had lots of players away with lots of travel.
“But I thought the connection of the team was very good, especially in the first-half with the three goals we scored outstanding.
“We were then able to control the second half.”
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