I love to read all sorts of different opinions on football. Even the ones that try to paint Celtic in the shadiest of lights. It’s healthy to gauge other perspectives and delve into the psyche of others who aren’t ‘Celtic minded’ from time to time.

However, when I happened upon a Reading publication this morning going ‘Full English’ on Celtic and the Scottish Premier League I couldn’t help but snigger.

Now, I’m not naming the publication, nor will I link you to it as I’m aware that these abrasive and ignorant opinions are designed to get people clicking. Instead, I will pull some quotes from this myopic and binary view of the football world wherein the writer’s mind football begins and ends in Engurland.

The article pertains to the rumours this week that Celtic are interested in Liam Moore, a reading defender who is ‘one of their best signings in years’ according to the writer.

Anyway, why would he want to drop down to the level that is the Scottish Premiership?

The blogger laughs off Celtic’s interest and questions why Liam would leave the glittering lights of Reading to head to Scottish football. I’ll repeat it – leave Reading for Scottish Football; I do this to point out that the blogger quite consciously chose not to write the phrase ‘Leave Reading for Celtic’. Both might be one in the same, but two very different propositions when you want to peel the ignorant onion the writer is asking you to chew.

Celtic would struggle to finish above mid-table in England’s second tier, so why should Moore want to move to Glasgow?

The downright rib-tickling notion that the writer can quantify where Celtic would sit today in any of England’s leagues is also another symptom of going ‘Full English’. We as Celtic fans are constantly bombarded with this sort of nonsense. ‘You wouldn’t cut it up here’, and they’re right to a certain extent, of course. Plop Celtic into the EPL right now with the same players and same funds they currently have access to in Scotland and of course they would struggle, but I’ll tell you what – they’re no worse than some of the mid-table sides you see in England at the moment. West Ham couldn’t even conquer Astana last season after Celtic on a 1/10th of the London sides budget sent them packing from Champions League qualifiers; hell, Aberdeen even managed to beat Everton’s conquerer’s at home in this years Europa League – these are just inconvenient truths. I’ll continue to say it, if Celtic can run Bayern close and actually end up with HALF the aggregate score as mega rich Arsenal (10-2 to Celtic’s 5-1) on the minuscule budget we have right now then watch us go if we had even half of their budget. Man City couldn’t even beat Celtic last term.

The fact that ex-Celtic defender Virgil van Dijk is most likely about to become the worlds most expensive defender will also be lost on him. A man who plied his trade in Scottish Football once upon a time, honing his skills and admitting himself to improving significantly during his time at Celtic Park is on his way to superstardom. He must be an exception – that reminds me, what’s Victor Wanyama up to these days?

So why would Liam Moore want to be part of Brendan Rodgers side? Why would he leave 18th placed Reading to come and win trophies, adulation and come up against some of the best players in the world?

It boggles the mind.

The Reading Writer takes us on a journey of belittling Celtic, at first it seems like he’s very sure of himself before he slowly slips into a mode where he’s trying to convince himself and Liam that playing in front of 60,000 fans and the opportunity to be part of something just a bit special and a lot different from the monotony of English Football hperbole.

This is not my pitch for Liam to come to Celtic; I’m not even sure at this point if the player would be good enough never mind be value for money for the club.

What I am saying is, that if Celtic do come calling – If the writer of the Reading Blog thinks the player won’t even flinch if the opportunity comes his way, he’s seriously deluding himself. He might have a glance, then a second or perhaps even a third.

I don’t presume to know the player or his motives. The outlandish money that gets passed about the EPL is all well and good and if that’s all Moore is after then we know he won’t be a Reading player regardless.

Virgil van Dijk, Wanyama, Fraser Forster and now Moussa Dembele show us that Celtic might not be the final destination, but it’s certainly a desirable proposition to play for a team where drawing plunges you into a crisis and winning is everything. The best players thrive in that environment and do so under the watchful eye of a worldwide support.

But that’s nothing compared to what Reading can do, of course.