Sources: Penrice set to leave Celtic after spearheading 2020 flop signing

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Published on:

15 Apr 2021, 10:30 am

Celtic recruitment chief Gary Penrice is in line for the exit after being the driving force for the failed Shane Duffy signing, Football Insider can reveal.

The site broke the news last month that Penrice was set to follow Nicky Hammond in departing the club before the official announcement of the former director of football operations' exit.

A Celtic source has told Football Insider that Penrice spearheaded the capture last summer of Duffy on loan from Brighton.

Former Everton scout Penrice, 56, has a lengthy association with Duffy dating back to when the defender was emerging from the youth ranks at Goodison Park.

The centre-back's capture was widely regarded last summer as a major coup for Celtic.

The Republic of Ireland international is a lifelong fan and arrived at Parkhead after accumulating extensive Premier League experience at Brighton.

But the 29-year-old has had a calamitous campaign following an encouraging start and struggled to adapt to Celtic and the Scottish Premiership.

He last featured for the Glasgow giants on 14th February and has not had a minute of action in the seven league and cup matches.

Penrice was appointed head of recruitment at Celtic in April of last year.

It was a position previously filled at the club by Lee Congerton, before he left to re-join Brendan Rodgers at Leicester City.

Penrice was brought in to work under Hammond, who was appointed director of football operations in October 2019 after working as a consultant for Celtic during the previous summer transfer window.

But most of the major signings have flopped badly this season, especially the summer-of-2020 headline arrivals Duffy, Albian Ajeti and Vasilios Barkas.

In other news, a huge Celtic deal is all but done after new talks.

Celtic