15 Players You Didn’t Know Celtic Almost Signed

10. Steven Fletcher

Scott Heppell/PA Wire/Press Association ImagesScott Heppell/PA Wire/Press Association ImagesFor most fans, Steven Fletcher is "the one that got away", although he was not so much a youth gamble (McCarthy), but more of a sure thing with the peak of his career approaching him. Fletcher made a name for himself at Hibs between 2003 and 2009, scoring and creating plenty of goals as part of a surprisingly exciting front line-up for the Hibs. On top of his form in front of goal, his link up play was what was so attractive for Celtic, as our style of attacking play at the time was reliant on a target man to knock the ball up to for other attackers to combine with. The rumour of a move to Celtic was so strong that it almost seemed inevitable, as Fletcher actually publicly pleaded with Hibs to let him go to Celtic, who had a £2.5 million bid rejected by the Edinburgh side for the striker. However, none of his superiors listened, and soon after the club accepted a £3million bid from Burnley. It was then clear that it was not really about money, Hibs were clearly wary of selling their best player to a rival club, even if their rivals were lightyears ahead of them anyway. Hibs actually have a history of selling players to Celtic, but obviously thought enough was enough. Fletcher has since maintained a steady career in the Premier League. He has continuously been linked with a move to Celtic ever since - most recently in January 2014 - but his price tag has quadrupled since he left the Scottish game. The chance is long gone, and he's probably not even worth it anymore; his best years have probably passed him now.
Contributor
Contributor

As a recent university graduate and a huge supporter of Celtic FC, what better way to use my inevitable free time to write about my favourite football team? I'll cover most things that the supporters are talking about at the moment, which includes things that directly and indirectly involve the club. At times I may also stray into matters concerning English clubs.