Allan, Scott – The Celtic Wiki

Personal

Full Name	Scott Allan
Known as	Scott Allan
Date of Birth	28th November 1991
Birthplace	Glasgow, Scotland
Height	1.75m (5ft 9in)
Position	Midfielder (CM)
Signed	14 Aug 2015 (Hibernian £250K)
Left	31 May 2018 (free to Hibernian)
Squad No.	19
Debut:	Dundee Utd 1-3 Celtic, League, 22 Aug 2015
International	Scotland
Caps	–
Goals	–

Biog

Transfers to Celtic had little generated more active discussion than that of the arrival of Glasgow born Scott Allan.

He self-admitted that he had grown up as a Rangers fan from a ‘staunch‘ family. On the back of this, the MSM had been filled of late with reports of TheRangers attempts to usurp Allan from Hibernian, but the latter were unwilling to sell as both were back then competing for the tier 2 league title. Celtic then stepped in and bought him for a modest amount (thanks in part to Hibs’ ex-Celt Alan Stubbs who was their manager).

Abuse rained down heavily from TheRangers’ sympathisers and some pejoratively labelled Scott Allan a turncoat decrying the move. Some within Celtic social media circles opined it was a ‘Get It Right Up You to the Zombies’.

“Ultimately it is the 23-year-old Allan himself who is going to have to live with the consequences of his decision. As a lifelong Light Blues fan, he surely knows what he has done. The Ibrox support, of which he was part, will regard him as nothing more than a turncoat.”
ex-Rangers player & ex-SFA Chief Exec Gordon Smith on Scott Allan Aug 2015 (just after the transfer to Celtic)

The truth is more that Celtic were eyeing him for over a year and were following up on their interest. TheRangers offered pennies with bonuses subject to Champions League appearances etc, in that they could never have afforded him in the first place (their finances still in shatters) and were just playing PR games to assuage their support.

Young and able, he’d had a short poor period in England but time was on his hands to make a fist of things with Celtic. An ageing Kris Commons meant that his role was the one earmarked for Scott Allan to aim for. He’d always been one to battle the odds, as a youth he was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes requiring daily insulin injections, but the condition did not unduly hinder his football career

However, despite a handful of opportunities, he was to be sidelined and kept in the reserves. Scott Allan had the misfortune to play in some very poor defeats for Celtic, including at the tail-end of the 2016/17 season a 2-1 defeat by Aberdeen and his last match which was a 2-1 defeat to St Johnstone in the league. He either wasn’t proving his worth or was just unlucky with his timing at the club.

In fairness to Scott Allan, he arrived in Ronny Deila’s second season which saw the form of the first team deteriorating rapidly and needing major changes. Many players’ form declined over that season, including even that of Scott Brown, and can be said to have hindered the development of various players.

Deila was to leave at the end of the season and things were to rapidly change for the better for almost all at Celtic under new manager Brendan Rodgers, but Scott Allan was not to be a part of it.

The midfield was to manage without him, admittedly with a glut of performers during this time, and Scott Allan was to be sent out on loan for his benefit.

Sadly, his loans weren’t generally working out, not aided by the lack of stability at his loan clubs with little positive feedback on his performances. It didn’t look good for his chances for a return at Celtic, especially as once Brendan Rodgers took over and Celtic had moved onto another level where even established players were being rotated or fighting for a place.

Out in the cold at his loan to Rotherham after the manager (ex Celt Alan Stubbs) was sacked, it seemed that he was jinxed. He had further loans to Dundee and a return on loan to Hibs but nothing was working out. The writing was on the wall.

Sadly for him, at Celtic the club were going from strength to strength under Brendan Rodgers with back to back domestic trebles and European participation which he likely wished to be involved with. There were plenty of young players coming through, but there was just simply no room for Scott Allan, who in truth had become mostly forgotten by the general support who were being spoilt with what was already on the field.

Inevitably, questions were asked on why had Celtic ever purchased him. Cynics would always raise the issue of one-upmanship on TheRangers but in fairness Allan had proven he had talent that justified the investment risk in him, and values can go up as well as down. He was a decent wee player, but as Ryan Christie had shown, if you get things right on loan away from Celtic you can return and become a success, but few were convinced this would be the case with Scott Allan.

The Celtic support did wish him the best but in his absence the team had soared far too forward for him to catch up. If he or his entourage had any second thoughts that he should have joined TheRangers instead at the beginning , then it should be noted that TheRangers were themselves not exactly doing at all well during this era with some other aspiring youngsters not having made a break there either. They were in a mess with a revolving door of managers, so if he had taken that step to move there at the start, it is likely things would have been worse for him.

In January 2019, he signed a pre-contract to sign up with Hibs in the following season. They were desperate to take him back with a very happy support in Leith on hearing of his signing. There were actually some commentators around the time of his departure who were saying that Allan on his return back to Celtic in 2018-19 should have been tried out and tested in the first team especially as there were some issues that needed addressing. Few were convinced this would be the best answer.

Despite all that time at Celtic, he never got any involvement in the incredible Treble-Treble achievements as Celtic won nine domestic trophies in a row to the time of his final departure.

We wished him the best.

Post-Celtic
Once settled in, he became a firm favourite at Hibernian with many good appearances over the years.

However, in 2020 he was diagnosed with a heart condition losing him both training time & match appearances, and inevitably after a loan spell with Inverness Caley (2021/22), he was let go from Hibs in 2022. He later said that he had been diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a heart condition that caused tiredness and shortage of breath.

He moved on to Arbroath […].

Playing Career

APPEARANCES	LEAGUE	SCOTTISH CUP	LEAGUE CUP	EUROPE	TOTAL
2015-16	2(11)	0(2)	0	1(1)	3 (14)
Goals	0	0	0	0	0
Total	2(11)	0(2)	0	1(1)	3 (14)
Goals	0	0	0	0	0

Honours with Celtic

Scottish League

2015-16

Pictures

Player Pics

KDS

Signs for Celtic (2015)

Quotes

“He was someone I picked out every time. He was outstanding – very creative, very good on the ball.”
ex-Rangers player & ex-SFA Chief Exec Gordon Smith on Scott Allan July 30th 2015 (just before the transfer to Celtic)

“Ultimately it is the 23-year-old Allan himself who is going to have to live with the consequences of his decision. As a lifelong Light Blues fan, he surely knows what he has done. The Ibrox support, of which he was part, will regard him as nothing more than a turncoat.”
ex-Rangers man & ex-SFA Chief Exec Gordon Smith on Scott Allan Aug 2015 (just after the transfer to Celtic)

“Talent-wise, at his peak, Allan was within the pool of the best 24 Scottish players of his time during the last decade. Yet he was never picked for Scotland beyond under-21s, and rarely picked at all when signed with Celtic. Stuck on the sidelines he later proved himself all over again at Hibs but illness and injury interrupted his recent years which has seen his time almost certainly pass.”
from TheScotsman (June 2022)

Articles

Scott Allan seals his move to Celtic and Forrest tips new Bhoy to deliver

By Ronnie Esplin

Aug 2015

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/scottish/celtic/scott-allan-seals-his-move-to-celtic-and-forrest-tips-new-bhoy-to-deliver-31452997.html15/08/2015

Celtic have confirmed the signing of midfielder Scott Allan on a four-year deal from Hibernian.

Allan, a boyhood fan of Celtic’s Old Firm rivals Rangers, underwent a medical on Friday ahead of his move to the Scottish champions.

Rangers had, in fact, failed with three bids for Allan, but the 23-year-old former West Brom player will now turn out for Ronny Deila’s side in the Ladbrokes Premiership.

He said: “I am absolutely delighted to sign for Celtic, such a fantastic club.

“It is such an honour to be given this opportunity and I can’t wait to get started and play my part in bringing success to Celtic and our supporters.

“There are so many exciting challenges ahead for us now in Scotland and in Europe and I am looking forward to being part of all that lies ahead.

“I know a number of players well at the club already, so it will be great to team up with these lads again as well as all my other new team-mates, and I know we will work hard together to bring more good times to our fans.

“I know the high-quality of players at the club and I know it will be a big personal challenge for me but it’s one I’m ready for and one I am relishing.

“I would like to thank the many fans who have already welcomed me to the club. I really appreciate this support.”

Celtic manager Ronny Deila said: “We’re really pleased to welcome Scott to Celtic.

“He’s a player of huge potential and someone who is hungry for success, a young player who can have a big future at our club.”

Meanwhile, James Forrest believes Celtic fans will readily forgive Allan’s Rangers allegiances.

Celtic’s Old Firm foes Rangers have failed with three bids for Allan, a boyhood fan of the Ibrox club, and Hibernian were adamant they would not sell the player to their Championship rivals.

Forrest, a former Scotland Under-21 team-mate of Allan, is sure the former West Brom player will have no problem in being accepted by Celtic supporters.

“Once you start playing games then everything gets forgotten about,” Forrest said.

“I am sure the fans will be right behind him because he will be a really good player for Celtic.

“He is a type of player Celtic look for and he will fit in well.

“A massive club like Celtic are always looking to bring in players of top quality and I am sure that Scotty can come here and do really well.”

Forrest rejected the notion that Celtic moved for Allan only to get one over on Rangers.

The Scotland wide-man, speaking at the Hoops’ Lennoxtown training ground ahead of the visit of Inverness today, said: “I don’t think it has anything to do with that. Celtic are always looking to bring in top players and if we do sign him he will be looking to play and do well, and that’s what we want, competition for places.”

Deila is confident that skipper Scott Brown, who has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury, will be back for the first leg of the Champions League play-off against Swedish side Malmo at Celtic Park next Wednesday night, which follows the visit of Inverness today.

The former Stromsgodset boss, however, believes the loss of the Scotland captain is not as detrimental to his team as it would have been last season.

He said: “Scott was stiff in his hamstring after the Qarabag game. He is moving forward all the time and is going to do everything he can to get ready, maybe for Saturday, and hopefully Wednesday.”

Scott Allan chose Celtic over Rangers, now the hard work begins for him

By Gordon Smith, 16 August 2015 12.41am.
http://www.sundaypost.com/sport/football/scott-allan-chose-celtic-over-rangers-now-the-hard-work-begins-for-him-1.894966
SCOTT ALLAN must be a brave man.

Rangers have missed out on their number one signing target, his choice of Celtic as new employers rubbing salt in their wounds.

Hibs have seen their Championship challenge diminished through the loss of their best player.

They have got Liam Henderson in as part of the deal, but that will only marginally soften the blow.

Ultimately it is the 23-year-old Allan himself who is going to have to live with the consequences of his decision.

As a lifelong Light Blues fan, he surely knows what he has done.

The Ibrox support, of which he was part, will regard him as nothing more than a turncoat.

His move to request a transfer in the wake of successive failed bids from Rangers signalled a clear desire to move to the club.

The Light Blues’ faithful know he could have waited out Hibs’ “we-won’t-sell-to-Rangers” stance for a year to join for nothing under free agency next summer.

And that he could have rejected Celtic’s approach to ensure himself hero status on Glasgow’s south side.

I also believe that the judgement from fans of his new club is not going to be kind, either.

Many of them will see him as a mercenary Bluenose.

So if things don’t go well, Scott Allan has a real test of his mental strength ahead of him.

At the moment, Rangers and Celtic are in different divisions. But in a year’s time, he could easily find himself asked to run out at Ibrox in a Premiership fixture.

If selected.

Don’t forget Allan has joined a squad with no shortage of attacking talent.

Stefan Johansen, Stuart Armstrong, Gary Mackay-Steven, James Forrest, Kris Commons and, for the moment anyway, Anthony Stokes, are all contenders for the three advanced midfield roles.

At Hibs he had an elevated status as a player, acknowledged as the club’s best and, last season, the Championship’s most exciting talent.

At Celtic he is going to have to scrap for every opportunity.

So will he be good enough to justify the gamble he has taken?

It is a question that has run in tandem with speculation over the midfielder’s future over the last few weeks.

Having learned the answer to the first question, I believe we will soon also know the answer to the second.

Allan once again has access to regular top-flight football and – more enticingly for the player, I am sure – could soon be playing against some of the world’s very biggest clubs.

Whether Celtic will compete in the Champions League or the Europa League group stages remains to be seen.

Either way, they have some massive matches ahead of them.

I think Allan is a talented young player. But as to whether he is going to be good enough at European level, I am just not sure.

This is a guy who failed to make it in England with West Brom, after all.

So why have the Hoops bought him now?

Clearly Rangers fans will say it has been done for devilment. That they have signed him because they can and the Light Blues can’t.

There might be something to that. They know the rivalry will be back soon enough, so moving to deny Mark Warburton the services of his top target must have held some appeal.

One argument I haven’t seen made yet amid all the hullabaloo is that Celtic have actually moved to help Rangers get up to the Premiership and get money-spinning Old Firm games back on the agenda.

That by buying Hibs’ best player they have deliberately weakened the club who are the biggest threat to a Rangers’ title win, and made it more likely they will be champions.

Remember where you heard it first!

Celtic switch ‘right’ for Rangers fan Scott Allan

http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/latest/celtic-switch-right-for-rangers-fan-scott-allan-1-3861044

STEPHEN HALLIDAY
17 August 2015

SCOTT Allan believes it should no longer be regarded as a major issue for a boyhood Rangers fan to cross Glasgow’s great football divide and sign for Celtic.

The midfielder was formally paraded as a Celtic player at a media conference yesterday, having completed his £275,000 move from Hibs to the Scottish champions late on Friday night.

The transfer has been the source of considerable disquiet among Rangers supporters, who had been widely anticipating Allan joining the Ibrox club.

But, after Hibs rejected three bids from Rangers for the 23-year-old and declared they would not sell him to their Championship rivals under any circumstances, Celtic stepped in last week to sign the former Dundee United and West Bromwich Albion player.

Allan feels the significance of his past allegiance to Rangers has been overstated, especially as several of Celtic’s greatest players – such as Kenny Dalglish and Danny McGrain – also favoured the blue half of the Old Firm when they were growing up in Glasgow.

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“It’s 2015, you know what I mean?,” said Allan. “Things have moved on, Celtic have had great players in the past who have done it.

He added: “For me, it’s just about working hard, trying to force my way into the Celtic team and taking it from there.

“I have to look after my best interests and for me to progress, this is the right move for me. The thought process for me when I heard Celtic were interested was ‘what’s best for my football career?’. That’s why I made the decision.

“It was as clear as that – going up a division and the chance of European football. It’s the chance for me to train and develop with really good international players.

“This is the decision I made for my best interests. I’m sure there will be other players who go on to do well for them [Rangers].”

When Hibs blocked his transfer request last month and stated they would not sell him to Rangers, it was suggested Allan would simply wait until the January transfer window before signing a pre-contract agreement with Mark Warburton’s side. But he insists that was never an option.

“No, not for me,” he said. “When Celtic came in, I weighed up those factors and it was easy for me.”

Allan also firmly denied his decision had in any way been motivated by greater financial terms on offer at Celtic.

“No, it was purely football terms,” he added. “It’s the chance to go up a division and the prospect of European football. If you ask any player, nine times out of ten they would make this decision and that’s what I’ve done.”

Hibs manager Alan Stubbs has suggested Rangers made a late attempt on Friday to persuade Allan to pull out of his move to Celtic but the player claimed to be unaware of any such communication.

“No, I never spoke to Rangers,” said Allan. “I had heard whispers about Celtic but there was nothing concrete until last Thursday.

“I’ve had a lot of support from my family. They respect my decision. That’s what your family is there for. They have been fine with me.

“Were they surprised? Not really, no. They said they would support me in my footballing career because it wasn’t their decision. They stand by me.”

Allan’s closest friend is Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday who had made no secret of his desire to see the pair reunited at Ibrox.

“Andy obviously needs to look after his own best interests and that’s what I’ve done too,” said Allan. “He’s been fine with me. He is someone I have known a long time and he will respect my decision as well.

“What did he say to me? He just said ‘good luck.’ It would be interesting to be on the opposite side to him now in a Celtic-Rangers game. I look forward to it.”

Allan admits he had some reservations over how he would be received by Celtic supporters.

“But those were swept away by the warm ovation he received when he was introduced on the pitch at Celtic Park on Saturday before the Premiership fixture against Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

“There was a bit of uncertainty,” said Allan. “I didn’t know what to expect.

“But when I stepped on the park, it was different class. The fans were brilliant with me and that’s something I’ll never forget.

“I just want to put it to bed now, get on the training park and start working hard. I’m delighted to be a Celtic player now.”

Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths revealed at the weekend that Allan had already been subjected to some dressing-room ribbing by Scott Brown, left, and Charlie Mulgrew over his past as a Rangers supporter.

“I can’t remember what they said, to be to be honest!,” laughed Allan.

“All I remember was that it was quite funny. I’ve not done my initiation song for them yet but I am sure I will have to do it soon.”

Rangers Fan Rep Posts Homophobic Slur To Allan

AUG 2015 Friday 21ST posted by Morning Star in Sport
by Andrew Muirhead

A RANGERS fans representative was caught posting homophobic abuse at a football player on Tuesday night after he signed for the club’s rivals.

Sons of Struth founder Craig Houston was so incensed with Hibernian midfielder Scott Allan’s decision to sign for Celtic, that he posted video tweets with homophobic comments aimed at the Scottish youngster.

In these tweets supposedly “honouring” Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday, he labelled Allan as a “gay” and called him “a poofter.”

Boyhood Rangers fan Allan had been the subject of three bids from the Ibrox side, with each rejected by Hibernian as they refused to sell to their title rivals. This led to Allan handing in a transfer request to force a move to Ibrox but again this was rejected.

Houston had lauded the potential arrival of Allan to Ibrox by labelling him a talented midfielder and that his agent would do everything in his power to make sure he would sign a pre-contract agreement for Rangers in January. This was just days before Celtic signed the youngster for £275,000.

When confronted online by the BBC’s Tom English over his “homophobic moment,” Houston — who had labelled the Irishman as anti-Rangers during a previous BBC Sportsound show — claimed that the journalist was pandering to Celtic fans.

Houston said: “Someone seems to be playing to their target audience. Again.”

Houston, who hails from Linwood, cofounded Sons of Struth with convicted drug dealer, football hooligan and former BNP supporter Sandy Chugg.

The drinks firm Vodquila salesman has been used by a number of media outlets in Scotland over the past year, including BBC, STV, the Evening Times and the Daily Record during the Rangers fans boycott of the club when controlled by the previous board under the Easdale brothers.

Them media outlets have not said if they will continue to use Houston’s services following his homophobic comments.

This latest Rangers fan rep scandal comes months after Chris Graham of the Rangers Supporters Trust had to resign from the Rangers board after just two days as a director, following a racist tweet posted to a Muslim cleric depicting the Prophet Mohammed engaged in a sex act in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo terror attack.

Houston was unavailable for comment.”

Alan Pattullo: Lack of action is a sad waste of Scott Allan’s talent

Remaining Time -0:35
Alan Pattullo
Published: 06:00
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/celtic/alan-pattullo-lack-of-action-is-a-sad-waste-of-scott-allan-s-talent-1-4784144
W hile Celtic were engaged in fierce Champions League action last night in Athens, Scott Allan was at home in Glasgow, kicking his heels and perhaps wondering how he can reinvent himself as a centre-half.

For as it stands, his midfield talents are not as urgently required by Brendan Rodgers. As well as lacking options in the middle of defence, the Celtic manager was forced to turn to Eboue Kouassi in a re-shaped midfield against Hearts at the weekend. Many interpreted his team selection as doubling as a veiled threat to Peter Lawwell, the club’s chief executive. Let me buy some reinforcements or else…

On a day when back-up men were called upon, the undeniably talented Allan was still not listed. There are some reports he is not 100 per cent fit after suffering a bout of illness. But there is enough evidence to warrant fearing he might be forced to spend another season sitting mostly on the sidelines at a crucial stage of his career. Allan, arguably one of the most gifted Scottish midfielders of his generation, turns 27 in November. He can’t afford his stop-start career to enter another parked phase.

But then again, perhaps he can’t afford not to. Allan has entered the last year of, potentially, the last life-changing contract of his career. He might have concluded that another eight months or so of being in and around a squad and playing rarely is what he must endure to be assured of receiving the maximum benefit of a four-year deal signed under the nose of Rangers in August 2015. With his family’s welfare in mind, he might not want to agree a pay-off for a smaller sum in order to negotiate a move elsewhere. It’s understandable if regrettable.

Lack of action can be the price to pay on being handed a big money contract. This was brought to mind while reading of new Aberdeen loan signing James Wilson’s reported £30,000 a week contract at Manchester United. This lavish sum will stop being deposited in his back account almost as soon as his season-long loan at Pittodrie ends. Like Allan, he is in the last year of a lucrative four-year deal.

“I’d expect to be moving on,” said Wilson, right, the pain assuaged by knowing he has secured his future at the age of 22 and on the back of only one contract, agreed shortly after he scored a double on his debut against Hull City. He has subsequently suffered injury problems. But his career could certainly not be said to have kicked on since Louis van Gaal handed him the deal in September 2015.

Indeed, Wilson has played only 53 minutes of first-team football for Manchester United since then while also posting underwhelming loan spells with Derby County, Brighton and Sheffield United.

It’s a different situation to Allan in that he is younger. But it does show how the dream of signing a big-money deal does not always translate to fulfilment on the pitch. Indeed, often it is not the case.

Allan’s position is currently complicated by a number of factors, most of them outwith his own hands. For example, how has John McGinn’s sale to Aston Villa rather than Celtic affected the chances of Allan signing for Hibs again, possibly in this window? Has sufficient ill-feeling been created to cause Celtic to be less than responsive to Hibs’ hopes of adding Allan to their squad, on loan or else permanently? That’s providing Hibs still want someone who, it is generally accepted, seems most at home in the green and white of the Edinburgh club. Neil Lennon has arranged adequate cover in midfield for the time being.

Where else is there for Allan, whose ventures down south, particularly a most recent spell with Rotherham, turned out to be so unsatisfying? His move to a team in the bottom six – Dundee – did not work out last season after it emerged Neil McCann felt his struggling side could not afford to accommodate such a luxury asset in midfield.

Allan did secure, eventually, the kind of regular action he clearly craves and made 35 appearances in total for Dundee and Hibs, whom he joined in January as part of a complicated deal by which then Dundee goalkeeper Scott Bain swapped a loan period at Hibs for one at Celtic.

Another season is now in full swing. Celtic, for example, have already played seven competitive fixtures, including last night’s clash with AEK Athens. Allan’s last appearance, meanwhile, came in the thrilling 5-5 draw with Rangers, when he scored his side’s second goal after 19 minutes. On a pulsating afternoon of action, he was replaced after 65 minutes. Hopes he might be assimilated back into the Celtic squad rose when he was taken on the club’s pre-season tour to Austria.

With Tom Rogic given time off after World Cup duty with Australia and following Stuart Armstrong’s move to Southampton, Allan was named as a substitute for both legs of Celtic’s opening Champions League qualifier against Armenian side Alashkert and for the home leg against Rosenborg in the next round.

Rodgers clearly has some appetite to include Allan in his plans. Who knows, come the next few weeks, the midfielder might have forced his way into the starting XI. It is certainly uplifting to think this might be the case. So far the nearest we’ve come to enjoying watching Allan in competitive action this season is in the new opening credits to Sportscene, which features his superb strike against Hearts in March.

With Scottish domestic football having lost two of its major midfield talents in McGinn and Dylan McGeouch to England, it is heartbreaking to consider the prospect of Allan enduring another period of purdah.

Scott Allan ‘dying for a game’ on Hibs return after ‘long year’ at Celtic

By Jordan Elgott BBC Scotland

Scott Allan is enjoying his return for a third spell at Easter Road

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48803682
Hibernian signing Scott Allan is “dying for a game of football” – and with a club “where I was appreciated” – after a “long year” on the Celtic sidelines.The 27-year-old midfielder did not play a single first-team game last season after returning from his loan at Easter Road during the previous campaign.He signed a pre-contract agreement in January and is now back for a third spell with Hibs.”I was just desperate to get here and get back playing again,” he said.”I tried to come in January, but it wasn’t to be, so I had to knuckle down until the end of the season.”
Neil Lennon was still Hibs’ head coach when Allan agreed to make his return but soon made his own return to Celtic.Despite the change in manager, with Brendan Rodgers having headed to Leicester City, Allan still could not find a way into the Celtic squad.”It was a bit strange,” Allan said. “I felt, over the season, I deserved at least a chance, but there ended up not even being a chance.”I knew it was going to be a long year, but I dealt with it. Neil and I had a chat when he came in about playing time, but I think other influences stopped that happening.”I needed to be somewhere where I was appreciated.”Allan, who had first joined Hibs from West Bromwich Albion, does not regret leaving Easter Road for Celtic in 2015 and believes he is now a better player.”It just wasn’t to be at Celtic,” he said. “I wouldn’t change anything. I went there believing that I was good enough to at least get a run in the team.”Present Hibs head coach Paul Heckingbottom said “there’s no shame in not getting in their team” and believes that the midfielder can get his career back on track with his side.”Celtic have won every trophy going – that’s why he wasn’t playing,” he said. “I’m delighted that we have him – he loves it here and the fans love him. “He’s played his best football here, but he’ll be the first to admit he’s not played his best football yet – for his talent and ambition.

“He loves the game, he’s bright, he’s good tactically and I think there’s more to come from him.”

Scott Allan opens up on retirement and the issue over his future: ‘I know the way chairmen think’
Scott Allan is not contemplating retirement despite starting the season without a club for the first time in 14 years.

By David Oliver
Monday, 15th August 2022, 10:06 am
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/hibs/scott-allan-opens-up-on-retirement-and-the-issue-over-his-future-i-know-the-way-chairmen-think-3805631
The midfielder left Hibs this summer but has so far been unable to secure a signing at an alternative club.

He believes his health – a heart condition and diabetes – has been ‘an issue’ for some teams casting doubt over his future, but he insists after the advice of three separate medical experts, he still has something to offer.

“There’s life left in me. I need to be playing. Since being diagnosed with the heart condition a few years ago, it’s thrown doubt in there for some of the clubs. I know the way chairmen think. One million per cent it would be an issue for some teams. I’ve worked so hard to get back,” he wrote in a column for BBC Scotland.