Steven Fletcher has admitted he was desperate to join Celtic during his time at Hibernian, lifting the lid on how close a deal came to being completed under then-manager Gordon Strachan.

The former Scotland striker was one of the most promising talents in the country during his spell at Easter Road, and his form inevitably attracted attention from Parkhead. Strachan identified Fletcher as a target in early 2009, but the deal was blocked by Hibs.

Fletcher would eventually leave for Burnley that summer in a deal worth over £3 million, but not before Celtic had made serious efforts to land him. It’s now clear just how much he wanted to make the move to Glasgow’s east end.

The striker, who recently helped Wrexham to promotion in England, opened up on the missed opportunity and admitted the timing was never quite right.

He said: (the Warm-Up), “I’ll openly admit when I was at Hibs I wanted to sign for Celtic. 100%.

“It was in the January, Strachan tried to sign me in the January and they wouldn’t let me go.

“And then I wanted to go in the summer.

“Rangers won the league that year.”

Fletcher’s comments will resonate with supporters who remember the transfer speculation around that time, as Celtic searched for added firepower in the title run-in. Strachan had been keen to bolster his attacking options in a bid to fend off Walter Smith’s Rangers side.

The 2008/09 campaign ended in disappointment for Celtic, who lost out on the league title to Rangers by four points. The lack of goals in the second half of the season proved costly, and Fletcher’s arrival might have changed that picture.

The timing of the failed move meant Fletcher’s career took a different path, but it remains a case of what might have been. Given his goal record and physical presence, many fans felt he would have been a strong fit for the side at the time.

Now 38 and approaching the twilight of his career, Fletcher’s admission adds a layer of reflection to a well-known transfer saga that never quite came off.