Healy rejects new Celtic deal

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill has admitted Colin Healy has rejected a new deal at Parkhead.

The Republic of Ireland international, who was on loan at Coventry City last season, is still unable to break into the Celtic first team and has turned down a new deal.

O'Neill said: "We have offered Colin an extra couple of years to his contract. But for the right reasons - footballing reasons - he has said what is the point at the moment? He doesn't want to be sitting in the stand. He doesn't want to be 13th man - he wants to play and I respect that totally.

"I expect him to break through eventually but he wants to break through now and be a member of the side. He has done exceptionally well at international level and now he wants to take the place of the midfield players in front of him.

"But I can't guarantee that at the moment. In the next 14 to 18 months I would expect him to come through but that is a long time to ask a young lad who has waited around for a year or so.

"I respect his wishes and, if I could guarantee him a place in the side or a fair number of games, that might be a different matter."

However, O'Neill dismissed suggestions the Hoops were to blame for the current poor form of the Scotland side.

National manager Berti Vogts has the worst-ever opening sequence of matches. The 1-0 defeat by Denmark represented a nadir for the German with fingers pointing at the Old Firm's reliance on non-domestic talent as a reason for the lack of success.

O'Neill said: "I assumed when I came up here, my responsibility was to Celtic and to win some games. It always makes me laugh when I find out now I am responsible for international affairs. I should become an international manager.

"But there is talent in Scotland. There are some young players coming through that will need some time to develop. There is no doubt about that.

"We have one or two here in Stephen Crainey and Shaun Maloney. Sometimes, young players are pushed into international duty before they have played more than 12 league games.

"It is an age-old saying but you have got to learn to play and the best way to do it is play in your club's first team for as long as possible."

But O'Neill has backed the Scottish youngsters to come good in the coming months.

"Over the next 18 months, this will be a very young Scotland side and hopefully they will prove good enough to play at international level."

Leicester City have expressed their amazement at the English Football League's disciplinary commission order yesterday that they reinstate Dennis Wise, sacked for punching team-mate Callum Davidson on the club's pre-season tour, and will appeal the ruling.

The club's chairman Martin George said: "We are astonished the Football League regulations do not allow for the dismissal of a player who has committed a serious and unprovoked assault on a fellow professional. We have immediately appealed against the decision in regard to the dismissal."

Davidson suffered a double fracture of a cheekbone in the assault. The appeal is expected to be heard on Wednesday.

"The punishment was excessive but a High Court judge has made this decision and it's no bad thing the law of the land is being used to get things in proportion," said PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor.

Charlton were finalising a deal for the Brazilian-born midfielder Alex yesterday, just as they were parting company with club captain Mark Kinsella, who has joined Aston Villa. "I told Mark at the start of the season that my first choice midfield pairing would be Claus Jensen and Scott Parker," manager Alan Curbishley explained.

"This was about progression and I wanted those two to form a partnership; one is 21 and the other is 25."