Maloney looks to extend Celtic stay
Shaun Maloney has no intention of leaving Celtic as he closes in on a bumper long-term contract with the club.
The 23-year-old frontman is a contender for player of the year having been a revelation at Parkhead this season.
Maloney has become a first-team regular by hitting 14 vital goals for the champions-elect this season.
Shunsuke Nakamura is a big admirer and claimed this week he will soon be attracting interest from Europe’s top clubs.
But the talented Scotland international, who has another year remaining on his contract after this one, has no desire to quit the CIS Insurance Cup winners.
“There have been discussions for the past couple of months,” explained Maloney.
“Hopefully it will get sorted out pretty quickly.
“I’ve found contracts don’t really happen that quickly but I’m sure it will happen nonetheless.
“I am very happy as I have broken into the team this year. I couldn’t be happier at the moment.”
Maloney was frustrated to find himself on the sidelines having battled back from a serious knee injury last season.
But the youngster admits had manager Gordon Strachan not opened the first-team door to him at the start of the season, he would seriously have considered looking for the exit.
Maloney continued: “If it didn’t happen this season then I would have had to seriously look at that.
“But thankfully it hasn’t come to that. The manager gave me enough chances at the start of the season to prove to him I was worth a place in his team and thankfully I took that.”
Maloney admits he has had to increase his work ethic to push his way into the starting 11 and must not let it drop to save himself from the wrath of Roy Keane and Neil Lennon.
“It does make you think when you are not playing,” he admitted.
“I was probably not up to it at the time because of the players above me.
“I needed that extra bit of work ethic in my game and I have done that this season.
“I didn’t realise what it took to play every week. Now I have a lot more respect for the players who have done it over the past four or five years since being in the first team.
“I didn’t know how much pressure would be on me but defensively I still need to improve.
“I am told that daily and I get it each match off team-mates.
“Neil Lennon and Roy Keane let you know quickly if you are not doing enough work.
“That is still something I need to work on.”
Maloney has been backed to be named player of the year but he believes Strachan deserves praise for his rise to prominence.
He added: “There was a year when I wasn’t playing because of the injury.
“It was hard work after that and when you go for such a period you realise how much you want it.
“I realised during that year that I was not happy being a sub or a squad player.
“I wanted to play a big part and thankfully that happened this season.
“The manager has got to take a little bit of credit for that because he has shown quite a lot of faith in me.
