City Looking At Celtic Stopper

Last updated : 08 December 2009 By Gary Hutchinson

Fox has been named as the Imps keeper for the reserve clash with Hartlepool today, with a view to him becoming an Imps man should Rob Burch depart.

6'0 Fox has previously been on trial at Exeter City, and has appeared for East Fife on loan from The Hoops.

However his move to Exeter City was been scuppered because of a “rights situation”.  The 22-year-old keeper spent a month training with the St James Park side. He impressed in the trials, but the Grecians attempts to sign him were scuppered due to a 'registration issue'.

Steve Perryman, director of football at the League One side said: 

"It is a situation where the club have, of course, got rights on him, which we respect more than anyone being a developing club,"

"It would be easy if we said he was worth a two-and-a-half-year contract then Celtic could see some value in him in coming to us and maybe picking up something down the line.

"The fact we are not in a position to offer him that means there is nothing in it for Celtic.

"We wanted to give the lad a limited contract to have a decent look at him. Of course, that didn't suit the situation for them.

"I thought he did well for us but, even if Celtic had agreed to us taking him on a short-term deal, he may not have agreed to coming here.

"So it never really got started."

Asked if there was any prospect of resurrecting a deal for Fox, Perryman added: "I wouldn't have thought so, unless we said we would give him a two-and-a-half, three-year contract.

"They (Celtic) helped mould him into a player and that is the player that we really liked.

"So we can't knock that system because we would be knocking ourselves."

However any complications arising from a potential deal may well be put aside given Chris Suttons long and distinguished career at Celtic Park. Hopefully our new managers contacts can help us snare a suitable replacement for Burch should he be on his way.

Fox initially left Celtic last month in search of first team football, as he'd found himself as the fourth choice keeper.