Celtic loanee Stephen Welsh has addressed his Hoops future with the Scottish defender, currently on loan at Belgian Pro League side KV Mechelen. Having made 13 league appearances since joining in January, he believes it has improved him.

Mechelen currently sit fourth in the Belgian Pro League Conference League playoff group, with Welsh starting every game in the playoffs.

The 25-year-old has struggled at times with injuries during his time at Celtic, but is enjoying the opportunity to start every week and rebuild his fitness over the last four months.

With injuries often demotivating players, Welsh never showed this at Celtic and has deserved the opportunity to prove himself in Belgium. However, the Scotsman is now at a stage of his career where he needs consistent game time.

He said: (RecordSport), “100% I will go back to Celtic as a better player.

“Tactically, technically I am better and I am also a lot fitter with the regular game time and being up to speed playing every week.

“I will also be going back much improved having played regularly in one of Europe’s top leagues.

“Whatever happens I am going back as a better player and person. I have also matured a lot, living away from and outside of Glasgow.

“It has been good going to a club where I know if I do well I will play.

“It has given me a lot of confidence to go out and play and show I can be an important member of a team.”

It’s good to hear that the loan spell has benefited Welsh so much, although it’s clear that he is optimistic about breaking back into the Celtic first team. However, he knows that his Hoops future could be over.

But given the way Liam Scales was able to salvage his Celtic career after a loan spell at Aberdeen, there is an outside chance Welsh could do the same.

Having come through the Hoops youth setup, the hope was that he would one day become a regular starter. He has had spells in the team, but over the last couple of years, he has fallen down the pecking order considerably, with currently around five centre-backs ahead of him. It’s a tough ask to expect Welsh to stay around given the potential lack of first-team starts.

Celtic and Welsh will face a decision in the summer over whether to sell him permanently or for him to stay and fight for his place. But after everything he’s achieved, he can certainly be proud of the effort he’s put in over the last couple of years.