Scottish Premiership

CELTIC are braced for interest in rookie right-back Jeremie Frimpong with a number of English Championship clubs monitoring his situation.
Premier League outfit Southampton are also believed to be keeping tabs on the young defender.

Frimpong is attracting interest from England with Southampton keen Credit: Kenny Ramsay – The Sun Glasgow

The 19-year-old – who has established himself as a key member of the first-team set up at Parkhead – signed a four-year deal when he joined from Manchester City last summer.
Discussions over a contract extension have taken place.
But as yet no agreement has been struck between Frimpong and the club.
Frimpong has featured over 40 times since his arrival in Scotland and has contributed three goals and six assists in all competitions.

Meanwhile, Hatem Elhamed could be set for a shock exit from Celtic next month in a desperate bid to reunite his family.
The £1.6million Israel right-back is living alone in Glasgow with his wife and young son back in their homeland.
And SunSport understands unsettled Elhamed, 29, has been finding the situation increasingly difficult throughout the Covid-19 restrictions.
It’s believed the defender has opened up on the personal issue to club chiefs.

Elhamed could be set to leave Celtic next month Credit: Kenny Ramsay – The Sun Glasgow

Sympathetic Celts could be willing to listen to offers for Elhamed when the transfer window opens in January.
However, his potential exit could depend on whether they are able to sign a replacement with Head of Recruitment Nick Hammond currently looking at possible right-back targets.
Elhamed started his career with Maccabi-Tel-Aviv and they could offer him a return home.
The experienced defender signed a four-year deal when he joined Celtic from Hapoel Be’er Sheva last summer in a £1.6m deal.
The Parkhead club would expect to recoup that fee but it’s also possible they could agree to a loan move for the rest of the season.

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RANGERS are keen on a deal to sign Billy Gilmour on loan next month.
Chelsea are open to the prospect of sending the teenage midfielder back to Ibrox until the end of the season.

Rangers are keen to bring Gilmour back to Ibrox on loanCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Gilmour started the Champions League clash against FK Krasnodar on Tuesday night.
But he has fallen down the pecking order in the battle for places in Frank Lampard’s midfield.
Gilmour, who missed four months following knee surgery, is the subject of an approach by former club Gers.
The Scotland Under-21 star would benefit from greater exposure to first team action at Ibrox, providing him with a platform to gatecrash Steve Clarke’s Euro 2020 squad.

The 19-year-old was a late sub against Sevilla last week and made his first start of the season on Tuesday night.
Asked about the possibility of Gilmour going on loan, Lampard said: “I’m not sure about a loan.
“The way Billy trains and plays I can see him with us.
“So  I have to make sure the pathway is right.

Gerrard is looking for Rangers reinforcements for second-half of seasonCredit: Getty Images – Getty

“We have to think about what’s best.”
The Chelsea boss is preparing a £60million bid for Declan Rice next month, and if he lands the West Ham ace it will add to the fierce competition for places in midfield.
Gilmour left Rangers for Chelsea in 2017, and made 12 first team appearances in 2019/20.
Now he could be set for a sensational Ibrox return.
⚽ Read our Chelsea live blog for the very latest news from the Bridge

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FORMER Hibernian goalkeeper John Burridge has revealed that a Hearts fan once left him a dirty present in his motorbike helmet.
The 69-year-old – who played for the Scottish outfit between 1991-1993 – claimed the incident left him with poo running down his face.

Former shot-stopper John Burridge played for 29 clubs during his careerCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

Burridge has stated he travelled to Hibernian by getting the train from his home in Durham to Edinburgh Waverley every day.
He would then make his way to the club’s training ground by using a motorbike he kept at the railway station.
And Burridge – who helped Hibs win the League Cup against Dunfermline in his first year at Easter Road – has lifted the lid on one incident that scarred him.
Speaking on the latest episode of the Edinburgh Football Show, he said: “I had a little 250cc.

“And what I did was get the train and an hour and 20 minutes later I am in Waverley [because] I had to get to Wardie training ground.
“I was rushing one day and put my helmet on and as I got to the traffic lights I thought ‘what the hell is that?’
“And brown [stuff] started coming down my face – somebody had s*** in my flipping helmet.
“I got to Wardie and there was a big flipping turd on my flipping head. I thought you dirty Scottish b*******, you know.

Burridge won the League Cup at both Aston Villa and HibernianCredit: PA:Press Association

“It must have been a bloody Hearts fan because a Hibs lad wouldn’t have done that.
“I always took my helmet home after that and I didn’t leave it at Waverley ever again.”
Burridge – who played for 29 clubs during his lengthy career – famously wore a Superman costume for Wolves against Newcastle in 1982 following a bet he made with Kevin Keegan.

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FURIOUS Celtic fans branded the team ‘s****bags’ as their bus left Parkhead following their disastrous draw with St Johnstone.
The pressure was already firmly on Neil Lennon ahead of kick-off with Rangers hammering Ross County in the Highlands earlier in the day.

Fans hurled abuse in direction of Celtic bus following dismal draw

Fans once again vented their frustrations following poor Celtic result

Neil Lennon is under increasing pressureCredit: Kenny Ramsay – The Sun Glasgow

Thousands of supporters turned up to make their voices heard last week following their shock Betfred Cup exit.
And a number were back at the stadium today following the latest poor result in a run that now sees the Scottish champions with just two wins from 12 games.

Large police presence at Celtic Park to keep order at stadium
Video footage shows a large number of angry fans hurling abuse as the team bus departed Parkhead.
Shouts of ‘f***ing s****bags’ could be heard as the crowd vented their anger at falling further behind Rangers in the race for the Premiership title.

Fans also chanted ‘sack the board’ as they made their feelings known to the Parkhead hierarchy.
A large line of police also escorted supporters away from the ground as they look to avoid a repeat of the shocking scenes from last week.
The fans’ frustrations weren’t the only ones boiling over with boss Lennon taking issue with questions over his future in his post-match interview with the BBC.

Celtic drew 1-1 with St Johnstone on SundayCredit: PA:Press Association

His position is under severe threat after falling 13 points behind runaway leaders Rangers at the top of the table.

Chris Kane grabbed the opening goal of the game for St Johnstone before Moi Elyounoussi levelled with his first touch of the ball to rescue a point.
Lennon insists he can still turn the season around but was unhappy with BBC reporter Kheredine Idessane’s ‘negative questions’ following the 1-1 draw.

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STEVEN GERRARD hinted at changes for Rangers with a busy spell ahead.
And one thing not changing was their remarkable form – or Jermain Defoe getting on the scoresheet.

James Tavernier celebrated after his goal helped Rangers to a huge winCredit: PA:Press Association

Kemar Roofe slid in the opener as Rangers extended the lead atop the Scottish PremiershipCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Defoe made his 800th appearance of his career and put the icing on the cake in stoppage time.
The visitors head to Lech Poznan on Thursday knowing they’ve already qualified for the last 32.
But for now they wait to see what response Celtic have against St Johnstone this afternoon as they go 14 POINTS clear with the 4-0 win.
It was a sticky opening quarter to the game with neither side threatening.

And it was the hosts who fashioned the first chance of the game after 25 minutes.
Iain Vigurs’ diagonal ball over the top found Harry Paton on the right.
He cut inside and sent a rasping left-footed shot on target which McGregor beat away.
That seemed to be the wake-up call that Rangers needed as they broke the deadlock two minutes later.

Tavernier claimed the assist in Morris’ OG en route to Rangers’ crushing winCredit: PA:Press Association

Steven Davis judged a defence-splitting pass to perfection inside the right channel that found James Tavernier and his low cross into the six-yard box was put in by a sliding Kemar Roofe.
Iain Vigurs picked up his customary booking booking just before the interval as he caught Morelos with a late slide tackle in the middle of the park.
In the aftermath, Gardyne quickly followed him into the book after something he said following the challenge.
Goldson and Kamara took an immediate dislike to what was said and Gerrard spoke with referee John Beaton on the way off the park.
Ryan Kent was quiet in the first half but was immediately involved at the start of the second.
His tricky run down the left resulted in a cross to Roofe who saw his downward header saved by Ross Laidlaw and Alfredo Morelos couldn’t score the rebound after a wonderful block from Callum Morris.
And Kent was involved in the second goal too. His low cross from the left was met by Roofe sliding in the six-yard box again and Josh Reid did superbly well to block the shot.

Steven Gerrard’s side are now miles clear of Celtic in the tableCredit: PA:Press Association
However, Tavernier was following in right behind Roofe and the ball bounced off the Rangers skipper and into the net.
County had their big chance to become only the third side to score against Rangers in the Premiership this season.
Midway through the second half, Reid’s delivery into the box was flicked on by Stewart at the front post and Connor Randall – on at half time for Keith Watson – blasted well over the bar from three yards with the goal at his mercy.
Tavernier looked for his second of the game with a volley from the right-hand side of the box but it went well-wide.
He did get his usual assist not long after though when sent clear down the right by Goldson.
Morelos was free in the centre of the box to roll home into an empty net, but Morris slid in in front of the Colombian and diverted into his own goal.
Gerrard then made a quadruple sub with just over a quarter of an hour to play, switching the entire front three for Cedric Itten, Ianis Hagi and Defoe.
Hagi tried his luck from wide on the right from a free-kick but Laidlaw parried over from underneath his crossbar.
Then Defoe got his goal in injury time, spinning on the edge of the six-yard box from an Itten pass and rolling it into the net.

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A PAIR of strikers with the same name both scored a hat-trick in Scotland in what is believed to be a world first.
Garry Thomson and his namesake – Garry Thomson – netted three times apiece for Thornton Hibs in a 6-2 victory for their side.

Garry and Garry Thomson made history last Saturday

The team mates – cousins from Fife now dubbed “The Thomson Twins” – put their club into the sporting history books in their game against Edinburgh rivals Craigroyston last Saturday.
It’s believed to be the first time two players with the same name both scored a hat-trick for the same team in the same match.
Not only did 30-year-old club stalwart Garry Sr net a hat-trick, his younger cousin and fellow striker, Garry Jr, 24, also scored three goals to give the East of Scotland League side an unlikely claim to fame.
The pair, now dubbed the “Thomson Twins” by team-mates, did not realise the significance of the result until after the final whistle.

Garry Sr, a production technician at Fife-based drinks giant Diageo, said: “We were both delighted to have bagged a hat-trick each but had not really given it another thought until teammates started ribbing us about it in the changing room.
“Even though that’s now my 13th hat-trick in the 10 years I’ve been at the club, this is certainly the one that’ll be remembered.”
While Garry Sr is well accustomed to scoring goals, for Garry Jr, a labourer for East Fife Joinery in Leven, the achievement was all the sweeter as it was the first time he had netted three in a match.
“It was just brilliant and family, friends and team-mates have been joking about it since,” he said.

The pair are cousins

The ‘Thomson Twins’ in training
Thornton Hibs manager Craig Gilbert said it is the first time he has ever heard of such a thing happening in a match, be it professional or amateur.
“It has to be unique and I’m delighted for the pair, who are great lads, to have created a little bit of history,” he said.
“I even managed to pull the referee’s leg after the final whistle too with me insisting Garry Thomson had scored all six goals,” he joked.

Now the dust has settled on the achievement, the pair have a new battle on their hands to decide who will get to keep the souvenir match ball.
“Maybe, we’ll have to flip a coin at the end of the season awards, who knows,” said Craig.
“At least they are from the same family, maybe they can take turns.”

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