Jonny Hayes can't wait for his Celtic debut - 7M sport

Jonny Hayes can't wait for his Celtic debut



Posted Tuesday, June 20, 2017 by Express.co.uk

JONNY HAYES has shrugged off the prospect of making his Celtic debut against Linfield in a tinderbox atmosphere at Windsor Park.

Jonny Hayes can't wait for his Celtic debut
Jonny Hayes can't wait for his Celtic debut

The draw for the second qualifying round of the Champions League has teed up the possibility of the Hoops playing Linfield in Belfast, with the first leg pencilled in for the afternoon of Tuesday, July 11.

Northern Irish police chiefs will have a major say on when the fixture takes place, with a chance the home and away legs could be reversed due to the strain on resources at the height of the Orange Order's marching season.

Linfield are favourites to beat San Marino outfit La Fiorita in the first qualifying round to set up the clash.

Dubliner Hayes is just eager to pull on the Hoops no matter the venue or opposition.

He said: "I'd play in the car park tomorrow if I needed to.

"It will be a tough game but if Linfield go through it will be a nice atmosphere to play in.

"You always want to play in decent football grounds and atmospheres and having spoken to Niall McGinn he talks about the atmosphere.

"I’m sure that if we do have to play there then we will be clued up on what to expect.

"It will be a good game if Linfield do go through and we'll look forward to it.

"The only time I've played at Windsor Park was with a young Irish team in the Foyle Cup when I was about 15."

Linfield are managed by David Healy and have another former Rangers player, Roy Carroll, in goal.

After the draw in Nyon, both clubs and UEFA held preliminary talks about the potential match-up, with security at the top of the agenda.

Linfield's traditional links to the Protestant community and Celtic's Irish Catholic background means policing the more extreme elements of both clubs' support would represent a challenge for authorities already stretched to their limits dealing with parade season.

Linfield chairman Roy McGivern  said: "We have a two-legged tie against La Fiorita first and we won’t get ahead of ourselves, but with the second qualifying round so soon after it is vital to start thinking about arrangements now for a potential blockbuster tie.

"We’ve had a chat with UEFA and we had ruled out July 12 for obvious reasons, purely from a practical point of view.

"At this stage the first leg would be on July 11, potentially with an early kick-off, but there are discussions going on with the police to see how that would be managed.

"Celtic are relaxed about it and they seem happy enough to play in Belfast on July 11.

Jonny Hayes can't wait for his Celtic debut
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is tasked with getting the team through to the Champions League

"They were the top team in the draw, they've had a tremendous season and of course there is the Brendan Rodgers factor too. It's incredible."

UEFA have previously moved games to a neutral venue where security issues caused concern.

Celtic are due to play Shamrock Rovers in a friendly in Dublin on July 8 and look set to remain on the Emerald Isle for the Linfield tie three days later.

Boss Rodgers will be hoping any trip back to his homeland is less fraught than his first European outing with Celtic proved last season, when Gibraltar minnows Lincoln Red Imps pulled off a stunning 1-0 win before the Hoops turned it around in Glasgow.



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