Former Celtic midfielder Paul Hartley has called on his old club to show more appreciation for Greg Taylor, with the Hoops left-back’s current deal set to expire at the end of the season. The club and Taylor have so far failed to agree on an extension, despite a contract reportedly being on the table.

Kieran Tierney’s return to Celtic has no doubt complicated matters, but as Taylor’s performance in Saturday’s 5–1 win over Kilmarnock showed, he clearly still has a huge role to play for the Hoops.

With Celtic known for developing Scottish players over the years, Hartley feels that Taylor’s value has been underestimated — partly because he’s Scottish and joined the Hoops for just £3 million in 2019 — despite his unbelievable consistency since then.

He said: (Football Scotland), “Sometimes it is (challenging) and he’s not probably came for a big fee either coming from Kilmarnock to Celtic. But sometimes you’ve got to try and appreciate the players a little bit more.

“And, then if he’s obviously looking for a contract what he thinks he’s worth and he has been a good player for Celtic over that period of time.”

“At the stage of his career he’s at, he wants to try and play every week and he’s maybe not guaranteed that at Celtic.

“Obviously, with Tierney coming back, then he might see his future somewhere else, but he can play in a number of positions and he’s been a strong signing. It’s not easy coming from Kilmarnock to establish yourself in the Celtic team and he has certainly done that.

“You need two players for every position, that’s for sure, and Tierney might not play every game. He’s going to be a brilliant signing. He’s still at a good age but he’s had a lot of injuries over his career and you need two good players in every position.

“Obviously you want to try and play in the best league possible. Your career’s quite short. You’ve got to try and secure your family also in that period. He’s at an age now where he maybe sees his future elsewhere.”

Hartley’s analysis is spot on — a Celtic squad next season with both Taylor and Tierney competing for the left-back spot in the starting XI would be a huge statement from the board about how much they’re backing Brendan Rodgers, who’s a big fan of both players.

With Rodgers’ own deal set to expire at the end of the season, it seems like a no-brainer to offer Taylor improved terms — whether that means a longer contract, better wages, or even more first-team assurances.

Taylor has proved the critics wrong time and time again, and if Saturday’s performance is anything to go by, he’s ready to show everyone at the club why he deserves a new deal.