Celtic encouraged to sign EFL striker by same manager who recommended Matt O'Riley

Bristol City youngster could be option for Celtic and Scotland Euros squad

Celtic have been encouraged to make a move for an up and coming English Championship striker by the same manager who recommended Matt O'Riley.

Rotherham boss Steve Evans is a self-confessed Celtic fan and believes that Bristol City youngster Tommy Conway would be a great addition at Parkhead.

Conway has been in excellent form this season with his 12 goals including two in the shock FA Cup third round win over West Ham as he netted the equaliser in the 1-1 draw at the London Stadium before grabbing the winner in the replay at Ashton Gate.

Bristol City's Tommy Conway would be a great signing for Celtic, according to Steve Evans. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

He is also a Scotland Under-21 international, finding the net once in five appearances for Scot Gemmill's side having also been called up to train with the senior squad last year.

Evans reckons that Conway could be the next young star to move up to Celtic from the English lower leagues and have a big impact after watching O'Riley – a PFA Scotland Player of the Year nominee – make a similar move from MK Dons in 2021.

Evans told the Scottish Sun: “I see a lot of Celtic - they’re the only club other than Rotherham that I’d have left Stevenage for - and if you’re asking me, could Conway play at Celtic? Absolutely.

"Get in the car and go today, he could play there. The last player I recommended Celtic should sign, when I got a call from the manager, was the boy who went from MK Dons who’s now worth multi-millions.

"But he’s also at a very good football club here with lots to achieve and if I was Liam Manning I’d be saying to the board, ‘we need to keep players like that, if we’re genuinely going to challenge for the Premier League.' He might want to go to Celtic, but you can’t [let him], he’s a gifted boy.

Evans also believes Conway could be in with a shout of going to Euro 2024 with Scotland with confirmation expected from UEFA at some point that squad sizes have increased from 23 to 26 players.

"Stevie Clarke has taken a country that was despondent about the national team and how they were playing and he’s come in with his staff and they’ve worked incredibly hard," he added.

"But I would think anyone who’s come to watch the boy Conway must be saying, ‘we know he’s in the 21s, we know he’s in the organisation’ so they’ll have a handle on him. But I certainly know some players who play in that first-team squad for Scotland and I’m sure the boy Conway could go into that and play some minutes, for sure, but in fairness that’s Stevie Clarke’s decision.”