It’s safe to say that Brendan Rodgers has hit the ground running up in Scotland.
Celtic are champions before the league has even split. 25 points clear, eight games remaining, it’s been an emphatic triumph for the Hoops in the Scottish top tier.
They’ve destroyed all before them this season under the watchful eye of the former Liverpool boss who’s success with his new club marks his first league title as a manager.
And what a way to do it.
37 games unbeaten – our best EVER start to a domestic season. Well done, Bhoys! 👏 #6inarow pic.twitter.com/vaY9J5J1JW
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) April 2, 2017
One of the club’s most famous and militant supporters comes in the shape of one of Ireland’s most loved sons.
Derry man James McClean has never made any secret of his love of the Celts and whilst that admirable openness in all his beliefs and principles has sometimes attracted criticism, it’s also what makes the Irish international so endearing too.
This is a man who’s happy and content with himself, he doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone.
A man who has consistently offered acts of extreme generosity to those in need.
And he still gets a hard time https://t.co/81pjY7VUHU
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) November 22, 2016
A man who went out of his way last week just to help a Down Syndrome team get a game that they’ve been longing for.
They finally got a game https://t.co/nEoATJItbp
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) March 29, 2017
James McClean owes nothing to no-one and he certainly doesn’t need to hide his love of Celtic Football Club, especially on a day where the league was going to be won for a sixth time in a row.
So, he took to his Instagram page to show his support.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BSYamNgAagf/?taken-by=jimmymac_11&hl=en
Naturally, when a player of McClean’s quality and heart and increasing experience pulls on your club’s jersey, you’re going to get a little excited.
Especially when you’re a club like Celtic who have seen the mercurial Scott Sinclair transform from Villa sub into the SPL’s Neymar.
McClean would rip it up in Scotland and that picture was enough for some fans to continue their pursuit of the Ireland player. Amidst all the ‘Hail hail’ comments and, of course, the obligatory ‘Tiocfaidh ar la’, most Celtic fans were just trying to convince the 27-year-old to join the party.
Physical flattery was tried.
Then a few attempts to persuade McClean to get involved on the road to 10 in a row.
Others were calling it home.
The wait has ground some people down already though.
Straight down the line, this guy.
Get out of the stands and onto the field…
In case it wasn’t clear what people were looking for.
But one fan has a bigger gripe than all of that.
Although the Celtic fans would love him and as sure as you can be that he’d throw everything he has into playing at Parkhead, he’s doing alright as it is at West Brom right now and he’s just coming off the back of a decent result at Old Trafford too.
Celtic fans might just need to up their chase.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2onN4AxazXo
