It appears Celtic timed Stephen Welsh’s return to Motherwell perfectly.
The defender had gone back to Celtic at the beginning of January, with Martin O’Neill on the lookout for centre-back options, and there were murmurs he might remain at Parkhead.
However, once Celtic secured Benjamin Arthur from Brentford on transfer deadline day, the move cleared the path for Welsh to head back to Fir Park — and he couldn’t have made a bigger statement on his comeback for the Steelmen faithful.
Even after Motherwell were reduced to ten men, Welsh found the net against Rangers, secured a hard-earned draw for his side, and simultaneously handed Celtic a boost in the Premiership title battle.
Celtic loanee Stephen Welsh reacts after scoring for Motherwell against Rangers
The closing moments of Wednesday night’s fixtures could prove decisive in determining who lifts the Premiership trophy at the end of the campaign.
At one ground, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain struck a dramatic late winner for Celtic against Livingston, while at another, Welsh delivered his own moment of brilliance.
It’s safe to say Welsh savoured the occasion, posting ‘have that’ on Instagram, before adding: ‘Never give up. Thanks for y
our support.’
Welsh’s stats for Motherwell against Rangers in numbers:
When Welsh rejoined Celtic last month, he was regarded as the fourth-choice centre-back behind Liam Scales, Auston Trusty and Dane Murray.
If he continues to impress in Motherwell colours, questions will surely arise about his long-term future when the summer window opens, given how influential he has been at Fir Park.
His display against Rangers only reinforced that point.
Minutes played: 90
Goals: 1
Aerials won: 4
Total tackles: 2
Interceptions: 1
Clearances: 7
Touches: 76
Passes: 64
Passing accuracy: 79.5%
Accurate long balls: 3
WhoScored rating: 7.33
