Hearts defender John Souttar says he is keeping things in perspective despite the speculation surrounding his future.
The Scottish international will be available on a free transfer when his contract expires in June, and he has been linked with a move to Celtic, along with Rangers and a number of English clubs. However, Souttar says he is simply concentrating on his football:
“Before my injuries, it would have affected me more. Now, I don’t take anything for granted. I go into every game completely focused on the match and what I need to do. Everything else gets blanked out because I’m just thankful to be on the pitch. The older I get, and the experiences I’ve picked up, the easier it has got to deal with speculation.”
The Hoops are likely to be in the market for a centre-back next summer. There are doubts over whether Cameron Carter-Vickers will sign on a permanent basis, while there is no telling if Christopher Jullien will be able to return to the level he showed before his serious knee injury.
Souttar is still only 25 years of age and he has had a decent season for Hearts, so the fact that he is available for free would make him an attractive target.
However, there have been reports suggesting that the centre-half would prefer a move to England so we shall see if Celtic do manage to win the race for his signature.
