I remember rumours of this move potentially happening when I was a young boy. I was about twelve years old (roughly) when James McFadden burst onto the scene as Motherwell striker. He had that trademark mini ponytail at the bottom of his neck that all the young kids tried to copy.
At the height of his popularity, he was attracting attention from many clubs, including Celtic, who he supported as a boy, but he eventually ended up at Everton for an absolute steal in 2003 for £1.25m. McFadden spent five years at The Toffees when he finalised a £5m moved to Birmingham in 2008.
But McFadden opened up on the two opportunities he had to sign for the Hoops when speaking on The Go Radio Football Show last night, “I had a few opportunities at different times and for whatever reason, it never worked out. The best chance was probably when I left Birmingham to go back to Everton.
Would you have John Kennedy as next Celtic manager?
YES
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“I had talks with Celtic and I just felt it was right for me to go back to Everton. you talk about that pull and you know talk about the pull we sometimes have to come back home, but I spent four and a half years at Everton and the pull was just too much for me. I had to go back there.
“I don’t ever look back and really regret because I came through at Motherwell and and plenty times I was told I wasn’t good enough so just to get playing football was a dream for me. So I’m extremely grateful for everything I’ve had in football and I don’t look back and wish I’d done this or that, because you’d never sleep, so I just came to be grateful for what I’ve got.
Presenter, Rob McLean, pressed McFadden further, “So who was who was the Celtic manager at the time when you went back to Everton?”
McFadden revealed, “Neil Lennon was the manager (2011) but I had interest at different stages of my career and also when Martin O’Neill was manager.”
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