Cameron Carter-Vickers.

Do we sell incase yes injury prone feel like he’s barely featured this season because of injury


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There was better news on Cameron Carter-Vickers, with the central defender back training after a hamstring injury but will not play in the fourth-round game. “Cam won’t be involved this weekend but by Ross County he will be fine,” Rodgers added.

 

Brendan Rodgers has confirmed Celtic chiefs have started discussions with Cameron Carter-Vickers over a new contract.

The US international, 26, is under contract until the summer of 2026 but Rodgers is keen to tie down a "pillar" of his team.

Carter-Vickers, who hasn't played since the Boxing Day win over Dundee due to injury, has been everpresent for Celtic whenever available since his move to Parkhead from Tottenham.

And Rodgers reckons the powerful defender has all the attributes to star in the Premier League one day even if he's hopeful of a prolonged period in Glasgow.

"He’s very important. We’ve had a conversation and he’s absolutely loved it here," said Rodgers of Carter-Vickers.

"He’s been around a few clubs down south and coming here he recognises the magnitude of the club, he’s become a winner here, he’s settled, played virtually for 18 months.

"He picked up the injury at the end of last season which then probably curtailed his pre-season which has then had a knock-on effect for part of this season.


“There have been talks on that between the club and his representatives so let’s see where it goes.”

While there has been anticipation that a bid for Carter-Vickers could arrive due to his impressive form in Scotland, Rodgers fears of a transfer exit for the centre-back do not plague his mind.

“Not really no," said Rodgers on whether he worries of a late January transfer bid. "I don’t worry about it.

"I don’t like in bed awake about it. If they want to go, they want to go. That’s the way football works.

"I think from what I’ve seen and from what I’ve worked with he can play at that [Premier League] level.

"He needed to come away and find the pressures here. But there’s no doubt. He has all the tools.

“But his happiness is here. Him and his partner absolutely love it up here. We would be keen to keep him here.”

Rodgers was already aware of Carter-Vickers' ability before pitching up at Celtic for a second spell in charge, but he himself admits he was pleasantly surprised by just how good the American is.

He conceded: "Absolutely [he was better than I thought]. It’s always nice when you come into work with players, it’s why I reserve total judgement.

"You can watch them from the outside. It’s like Matt O’Riley, there were things you were thinking ‘ok, you can see his qualities but does he have this?’

"Then you see him close up and Cam’s the same. I’d seen him around at clubs and the challenge he had to break into Tottenham’s team.

"The time when he was there with the players they had, he’d gone out and picked up some loans. But he probably needed to find a home and you see him when he’s had that.

"He’s very strong. He came through at Tottenham. I was very close to the technical director in England John McDermott, I’ve known him for a long time and I know the education a lot of the Tottenham boys will have had.

"Seeing Cam, it doesn’t surprise me really because. But seeing him close up you see how strong and robust he is.

"He’s got great strength and power and he knows football which helps and he can play football."
Carter-Vickers' recent injury issues have caused concern amongst the Celtic fan base with the defender's crucial role in the rearguard no better highlighted than when he is out of the team.




But Rodgers is confident there will be no vicious cycle of injury problems when Carter-Vickers does make his first-team comeback.

"I just think that’s a consequence of probably chasing it a wee bit because the base in pre-season is so important," he said.

"He never really had that. He felt good in the Aberdeen game but that’s what it is.

"At that time it’s also the nature of when he’s had his operation it can knock you out of your rhythm but we’re confident he’ll get back that robustness and stay injury-free."

 

Ooft superb

 

I hope he stays, he has been superb since coming in and I wouldn't call him injury prone

 

Why not? He's been unavailable a fair slice of his time with us. Possibly why he'll stay longer though.

 

He has only had 2 big injuries since he signed Knee and Hamstring, otherwise he has been generally healthy

 

Announce a four plus year deal.

 

Great news if he signs an extension. Huge player for us and if we could hold onto him for all of next season (I’d obviously rather longer) it would be massive for us.

 

That's a pretty generous interpretation. I'd say he's definitely injury prone.

He's been unavailable at critical points fairly regularly and for months not weeks since he joined. Usually more than once a season.

Which, ironically, might be a good thing as lowers his value to others and means he might stay here longer. Unlike those who want us to sign Tierney we haven't paid £20million so it's not as big a downside as otherwise.

 

He has been available for most big games, he is definitely not Injury Prone, Tierney is Injury prone, every season he seems to pick up at lest 3-4 injuries that rule him out for a few weeks, that is not Vickers

 

Has CCV not been injured for most of our CL games last couple of years? Certainly feels like he's bordering on having the injury prone label. If he manages to finish the season without any more set backs the chat takes a back burner, but deffo a discussion to be had.

 

That's nonsense. He's missed multiple big CL games last 2 seasons and been absent at other critical points.

Given what we paid for him and his quality when available I think that's a fair trade, not a criticism. We just can't depend on him being fit the whole season.

 

He has Started 8 out of 12 CL games and 5 out of 6 EL games

 

He has started 8 out of 12 possible champion league games, 2 others he was on the Bench, and exactly what other critical points has he missed, I am not saying that he is ideal health wise but he is definitely not injury prone, especially considering some of the other defenders we have had in recent years

 

Rodgers is right. He's an absolute PILLAR.

We simply MUST keep him here. But the EPL is the EPL. Once they start throwing money around, is hard for any pro, no matter how much they live it here, to turn their nose up.

Goes back again to the wage structure of the club.

We held on to likes of Larsson because we gave him a competitive wage. Obviously it backfired with the likes of Bobo. But quality is quality, and we should be restructuring our wage tiers for players of CCVs calibre.

 

Give him what he wants

 

CCV picked up 3 injuries in 2023. He hasn't played the Huns this season, started only 3 CL games, he also was injured in our league cup fixture. There is definitely issues. If he didn't have these issues he'd be gone in the summer.

 

CCV is the one player we simply cannot afford to lose, given the fragility / lack of depth within current defence.
I'd put retaining CCV ahead of even O'Reilly, Hattate etc

Also confirms there is genuine interest from outside, hope CCV makes the right call.
New 5 year deal would be fantastic