Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s switch to Celtic has sparked plenty of reaction from high-profile names in football following the eye-catching post-deadline signing.
The ex-Liverpool midfielder had been keeping fit with former club Arsenal during his spell as a free agent, after departing Turkish outfit Besiktas.
He has now chosen to enter the Premiership title race under manager Martin O’Neill, putting pen to paper on a contract running until the end of the campaign, with the option of extending his stay by a further year.
Oxlade-Chamberlain was presented to supporters at Parkhead during Saturday’s Scottish Cup triumph over Dundee and arrives with a wealth of experience, having lifted honours such as the Premier League and Champions League. A number of well-known players have responded to the transfer, including Arsenal star Declan Rice.
Declan Rice on new Celtic transfer move:
He commented on a post by Oxlade-Chamberlain on Instagram ‘What a guy!!!! Smash it brother,’ while former Liverpool teammate Jordan Henderson showed his approval of the move. The Brentford man wrote ‘Love it mate!!! Good luck.’ Andy Robertson, the midfielder’s former colleague from his Merseyside days and a lifelong Celtic supporter, dropped green heart emojis beneath the post, with Joe Gomez, Theo Walcott, Kieran Gibbs, and Rickie Lambert also sending messages of support.
Ex-Celtic defender and coach Darren O’Dea, who departed Parkhead last year to accept a position at Swansea City before recently leaving the Championship side, has admitted he holds a few reservations over the player’s fitness. Nevertheless, if those concerns are eased, Celtic may have secured a talent capable of shining in Scottish football.
He said on Go Radio: “I’m sceptical. I’m sceptical because he has played at the highest, highest level of football pretty much for his full career. I remember playing against him when he was at Southampton at the time before he moved to Arsenal. This is a super, super talented kid. He’s 32 now, which is this day and age is no age.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Celtic verdict:
“You can play till you’re 40, we’re seeing with some players. I just question why is he available to come on a free transfer to Celtic? I think the reason has been he’s had a numerous amount of injuries. He’s obviously tried something where he’s gone abroad over to Turkey.
“It’s not worked out, which is understandable. But listen, if he’s anywhere near his capacity, he’s going to light this place up. My scepticism comes from I know at that age when you start getting injuries, are you the same player as you were before? And I think Celtic fans are expecting the player that was before to come up the road.”
O’Neill said of the signing: “We are really pleased to bring Alex to Celtic. He still has so much to offer the game, and I am sure he can add another dimension to us with his great ability and wealth of experience in the game. Above all, he is passionate and excited about this move himself so we are welcoming a great player who is hungry to help us achieve as much as we can.”