Adam Montgomery’s latest loan move, his 6th, may well mark the end of his time at Celtic, with the 23-year-old now facing a make-or-break season away from Parkhead.
The left-sided defender has officially joined David Martindale’s newly-promoted Livingston on a season-long loan, returning to the Premiership after stints across the SPFL and down south.
Despite early promise under Ange Postecoglou, Montgomery has drifted to the fringes of the first-team picture.
When the Aussie manager was at Celtic, He praised the defender after his contribution against Aberdeen, saying: “He showed tremendous composure. It was a simple pass across the goal, but at the end of the game when you need to win, he showed that composure. He is a very talented young player and hopefully he continues to do that.”
With two years remaining on his current deal and no sign of breaking into Brendan Rodgers’ plans, this loan feels like a last chance to showcase his worth but not for Celtic, for prospective suitors in Scotland or England.
Montgomery spent last season at Queen’s Park and has previously been loaned to Aberdeen, St Johnstone, Motherwell and Fleetwood. Now at a club where he’s likely to play regularly in the top flight, he has a platform to prove himself at senior level.
He featured in Celtic’s early pre-season matches, starting against Queen’s Park before being named on the bench for games against Cork, Sporting Lisbon and Newcastle. But with competition intensifying at left-back, especially with Kieran Tierney’s return and Hayato Inamura impressing in pre-season, the pathway looks blocked.
This move to Livingston is less about development and more about putting himself in the shop window for a permanent move next summer.
