Billy: I’m sure Hayes can fill Paddy’s shoes
BILLY STARK reckons Jonny Hayes is a ready- made replacement for Patrick Roberts at Celtic if they do a deal to get him out of Aberdeen in the nick of time.
Stark made the move from Pittodrie to Parkhead in his playing days when he sensed the Dons were on the slide after the departure of Alex Ferguson.
Now he sees parallels in the Dons’ current situation and questions how they can improve with key players Niall McGinn, Ash Taylor and Ryan Jack gone already.
And he feels Celtic would be wise to sign the Irishman he feels is tailormade to fill Roberts’ boots as it’s unlikely they’d be able to buy the on-loan Man City prodigy on a permanent deal.
Stark said: “I see the logic in Celtic going for Hayes and you would link that to their hopes of keeping Roberts.
“Celtic will know roughly where they are with the player and what he wants or if Man City are willing to sell for a reasonable price.
“You would doubt they could do a permanent deal and although Paddy has had a terrific second half of the season there is still loads of potential to be tapped into.
“Hayes, on the other hand, is more the finished article.
“Of course if Roberts keeps progressing he’ ll arguably be better than Jonny but just now Hayes has the experience.
“When you are looking at the chemistry of the squad you can be sure he would be a good fit for Celtic knowing the type of character he is.”
Hayes hit the opening goal in Saturday’s Scottish Cup Final against Celtic but Stark doesn’t think that was the clincher for Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers.
He added: “If that move is on the cards it would have been decided before then.
“It will be based on the fact he has been consistent during his time at Aberdeen.
“There are boys who play in that wide area who, if you analyse them, don’t deliver on assists for goals scored.
“But Hayes contributes in that way and in goals scored himself as he did in the Cup Final and in the previous league game at Pittodrie.
“Although Celtic were 3-0 up at the time a goal of that quality at any time makes you sit up and take notice.”
Celtic certainly have the spending power to convince Aberdeen to sell the 29-yearold who six months ago signed a contract extension until 2019.
And Stark believes Hayes will be eager to grab the opportunity at a time when the Dons might start to wonder if they can go any higher next season.
He added: “When I left in 1987 I felt Aberdeen were starting to slide. Fergie had left and my contract was up at the end of that season so I’d made my mind up I was going to move.
“Now you wonder if this Aberdeen side is in a similar position.
“They have finished runners-up in both cups and the league so you could argue that’s the best they could have done, especially with Celtic now in a position of strength unprecedented in Scottish football.”