Elijah Just has responded to growing speculation linking him with Celtic after New Zealand’s heavy 4-0 World Cup warm-up defeat to Haiti national football team.
The Motherwell attacker has emerged as one of the standout performers in the Premiership over the last season and has increasingly found himself linked with a move away from Fir Park.
Celtic are among the clubs repeatedly credited with interest as they assess attacking reinforcements ahead of another huge campaign.
Just, 26, now has the opportunity to further raise his profile on the world stage during New Zealand’s World Cup campaign, with group-stage matches taking place in Los Angeles and Vancouver.
Interestingly for Scottish supporters, Scotland are also set to face Haiti during the tournament after the Caribbean side’s impressive display against New Zealand.
Despite the transfer speculation, Just insists his focus remains firmly on the World Cup for now.
Speaking after the defeat, he said: [The Herald]
“There is speculation, but I’m just focused on the World Cup, and hopefully I can show myself a little bit better than I did against Haiti.
“Who knows what will happen?
“If I’m heading back to Motherwell, we’ve got exciting European games and whatever else.
“It’s to hear my name mentioned with big clubs and it’s not something I expected going in.
“But it’s a testament to not only my hard work but the whole squad.
“We were brilliant last season but it’s not only me who deserves plaudits and links.
“A few of the boys have been outstanding.
“I want to play at the highest level, absolutely.
“I’ve been bouncing around lower leagues in my career so to take a step this year and show a little bit of my potential was nice.
“But of course, everyone wants to keep pushing and test themselves to see how far they can go.”
Who knows what will happen with Celtic this transfer window. The club are yet to appoint a permanent manager while other sides are completing business, despite the transfer window not even being open yet.
Before Celtic complete any business, the club will need to choose their manager, with it currently between Martin O’Neill and Robbie Keane.
