Celtic Should Take a Serious Look at Cammy Devlin

I absolutely hated Cammy Devlin when he played against Celtic — and that is probably one of the strongest arguments for signing him.

He was aggressive, relentless and permanently in the faces of Celtic players. He disrupted our rhythm, contested everything and made himself incredibly difficult to ignore. Devlin was the type of opposition player who got under your skin because he was doing his job properly.

Now he is available on a free transfer, Celtic should at least be considering him.

There is no guarantee Celtic are interested, but this is exactly the kind of opportunity the club should be looking at.

Celtic could be facing significant changes in midfield this summer. Arne Engels, Reo Hatate, Benjamin Nygren and Paulo Bernardo could all leave during the window. They may not all go, but the possibility alone means Celtic need to be prepared.

Devlin would not arrive as the glamorous signing designed to excite everyone. He would arrive as a proven Scottish Premiership player who knows the league, understands the opposition and would require very little time to settle.

Sometimes that is every bit as valuable as a player arriving from abroad.

There can be a strange snobbery when it comes to Celtic signing players from other Scottish clubs. Some supporters immediately dismiss them because they do not come with a fashionable reputation or a large transfer fee.

That makes no sense.

A good player is a good player, regardless of whether he has come from Hearts, Hibernian, Aberdeen or anywhere else in the Premiership.

Devlin has repeatedly shown he can compete against Celtic. He has the energy to press, the aggression to win the ball and the character to handle difficult matches. He does not disappear when games become physical.

That kind of player has value.

Would he walk straight into Celtic’s strongest midfield? Perhaps not. But squads are not built entirely around automatic starters.

Celtic need dependable players who can come into the side without weakening it. They need competition, experience and different options in midfield.

There will be games at Tynecastle, Easter Road, Pittodrie and Ibrox when Celtic need someone willing to fight for control rather than simply wait for the game to open up.

Devlin can do that.

He is 28, available on a free transfer and already understands Scottish football. Celtic would be getting a player in his prime without paying a transfer fee.

It would not be the most exciting signing of the summer, but it could be a very sensible one.

Every time I watched Cammy Devlin against Celtic, I wanted someone to get him away from our players.

Perhaps the best way to do that is to put him in a Celtic jersey.