Soccer:Willo Flood is set to leave Celtic on loan next month after admitting his dream move to Parkhead has failed to work out. And Flood believes that could pave the way for a summer switch as he bids to kick-start a career that has stalled for the past year.
The Irish midfielder Flood joined boyhood idols Celtic in January — after spending 18 months on loan at Dundee United from Cardiff — but has started just two games since then.
“I think it’s fair to say that me moving to Celtic has not gone according to plan,” he said.
“At the time, it was the chance of a lifetime and the chance to join a club like Celtic, where you could win things and play in the Champions League. It was not something I could turn down, but it hasn’t turned out the way I wanted it.
“I’m not involved, I’m not featuring and at this stage of my career I need to be playing regularly.”
Flood, who has 18 months left on his contract at Celtic, added: “They will decide what I do, but it’s best that I go out on loan, at least, and see what happens then.
“I’ve spoken to Tony Mowbray about it and he’s been great with me. He’s one of the most honest people I’ve met in football, he hasn’t messed me around in any way.
“He says it would be best for me to go out on loan next month, get some games in and get my sharpness back and we’ll assess things again in the summer.”
Meanwhile, Celtic have been linked with a January move for Blackburn’s Morten Gamst Pedersen.
And the Norway midfielder, whose Ewood Park contract expires in the summer, has described the Hoops as “a big club” with the attraction of European football.
The 28-year-old said: “Lots of people care about the club. The fact they play regularly in Europe is a bonus.
“I have never played in the Champions League and it is something I have always dreamed of.”
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YVIRIOZQ35EWRPZXR27KGMO6YU.png)