The love Jonny Hayes has for Aberdeen is clear – but he is unsure if a Pittodrie return will be an option for him.
The winger is set to leave Celtic when his contract ends this summer but the stark financial picture in Scottish football may scupper any hopes of a second stint with the Dons.
The 32-year-old told TalkSport: “I have always loved Aberdeen, no doubt about it. Even playing against them was a bit strange. I have a good relationship with the staff and players up there.
“It’s been an option before, I don’t know whether it will be an option now. Previously there was talk of me going back on loan maybe.
“In the current climate you can’t really nail your colours to a mast and say you want to go there because it might not happen.
“The club you might want to go to, for example Aberdeen or Motherwell or wherever it might be, the club might struggle with finances over the next six months.”
Celtic announced at the weekend that they will also not take up a one-year option on centre-back Jozo Simunovic’s deal.
The 25-year-old Croatian centre-back played more than 125 times for the Parkhead side after joining from Dinamo Zagreb in 2015. He found both fitness and, consequently, game-time hard to come by last season and appeared just six times in the league.