James McCarthy quietly departed the Celtic with no formal announcement from the Hoops.
Now, the experienced midfielder has resurfaced at Hamilton Accies, the club where he began his professional career, promoting their third kit.
Despite signing a four-year deal in 2021, McCarthy struggled to make a consistent impact at Celtic, with injuries and limited game time overshadowing his tenure. His exit from the club went unannounced, and he has since been removed from Celtic’s official website, confirming his departure.
McCarthy joined Celtic on the same day as goalkeeper Joe Hart, during a summer of significant squad rebuilding under then-manager Ange Postecoglou. While Hart became a vital part of the team, McCarthy’s contributions were far more sporadic.
On paper, the signing made sense—McCarthy brought Premier League experience and leadership to a squad in transition. However, the decision to hand the Irishman a four-year deal, despite his injury record, raised eyebrows at the time.
McCarthy’s recent appearance at New Douglas Park, promoting Hamilton Accies’ third kit, marks a return to his roots. The Irishman began his professional career with the Championship club before moving to Wigan Athletic in 2009, where he made a name for himself in English football.
Hamilton shared an image of McCarthy on Twitter, showing off an Accies’ kit.
Promoting the new 3rd choice top it’s ex players Sam Forrest of the late 1960s and James McCarthy pic.twitter.com/lBDLziiSzm
— Hamilton Accies FC news stats info (@acciesfc) January 10, 2025
While there has been no confirmation of his retirement, it appears McCarthy may be stepping away from playing professionally.
It remains unclear whether McCarthy intends to continue his footballing career or if this appearance at Hamilton signals the start of a post-playing role in football. Given his connection to the Accies, he may be considering opportunities to give back to the club that launched his career.
