The Ben Davies saga of the the January window will go down as one of the most amateurish mistakes of the Neil Lennon era.
Yes, I know there were many in his second stint as Celtic boss, but when it comes to closing a transfer deal, everyone knows you say nothing until the deal is signed, sealed and delivered.
Celtic thought they had their man until Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool came calling at the last minute to steal the defender from the clutches of the Hoops.
The details of how the deal went sour are well documented, but journalist for The Celtic Way and A Celtic State of Mind’s, Anthony Haggerty, had told Davies that he made a massive mistake when he joined Liverpool.
Haggerty says Davies he understands why Davies eventually chose Liverpool but he either should have been told where he stood before he signed or at the very least, he was given bad advice when he finally signed for The Reds, “I think there’s certain clubs who when they come calling, you can’t say no to.
“But if he was getting any advice at all, he should have been told you won’t play or your appearances will be limited.
“So what do you do? You leave Preston and earn shed loads of money and not play at Liverpool? Or do you leave Preston still earn a decent whack, and go and play at Celtic?
“It’s purely a player’s preference. The player at that moment in time, maybe was confident in his own ability to break through to the Liverpool team.
“And it’s obviously been a tall order, because he hasn’t been able to do that.
“Chris Sutton used to say don’t knock Scottish Football until you have tried it. A lot of people have a downer on Scottish Football as a product.
“And it might lack the quality and it doesn’t have the money sloshing around. But it’s raw, and it’s honest. And it’s full of real endeavour and no shortage of craft and guile.
“And I think someone like Ben Davis, who if you told him you’re going to be a mainstay of this team, a lynch pin. You play in front of 50 or 60,000. That’s quite addictive.
“If you play for one of the big two in Scotland Celtic or Rangers for that matter. Those are two massive institutions.
“Wonderful football clubs. And yet, I think any player who’s contemplating it shouldn’t be too dismissive of it, give it a try first. Because if you try, you might find that you like it.”
Speculation still mounts on whether Celtic will attempt to resign the defender this summer, but one thing is for sure. Looking at how thin the back line is now, Davies would have been a welcome and much needed addition to the Celtic squad in January.