Stephen Welsh Now Thriving at Motherwell “When You’re Not Fancied by a Manager, It’s Not Easy”

Stephen Welsh is enjoying a resurgence in his career, and it’s happening far from the bright lights of Celtic Park.

The 25-year-old centre-back, currently on loan at Motherwell, has been a standout performer week in, week out in the Premiership and his form hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Welsh has been earning plaudits from fans, pundits and teammates for his consistent displays and leadership on the pitch.

Celtic fans tuning into the ‘Well have all been impressed with him, and many of his teammates.

He wasn’t eligible to play in Motherwell’s 2–0 win over Celtic due to the terms of his loan, but he’s made a major impact in Lanarkshire.

With his background at Celtic, having come through the youth system, winning trophies, and playing big games at home and in Europe, Welsh has used his experience of fast, attacking, possession-based football to settle seamlessly into Jens Berthel Askou’s system.

Speaking to Motherwell media, Welsh said:

“It’s been a great few months for me. I’ve loved every minute of it, and I hope it continues. The manager said he signed me because I’ve played this way ever since I was a young boy. I was told when I was young that I needed to play on the halfway line and that I needed to be good on the ball. If you’re not good on the ball, you’re not going to play for Celtic. I feel I’ve managed to bring that into the team.”

Welsh spoke about the spirit in the dressing room, how loan players must earn their place like everyone else, and how being frozen out at Celtic last season was tough mentally. He described 2025 as a difficult year, with few opportunities at Parkhead and an unsuccessful loan spell in Belgium, though he says he’d have been happy to return there. But it was a phone call from Motherwell’s manager that turned his head.

He added:

“I’ve loved every minute so far

“The last 12 months have been really good for me. 2024 was a tough year because when you’re not fancied by a manager, it’s not easy. You come into training every day, work hard and nothing happens. There’s not much you can do. I was over in Belgium earlier in the year, and it was similar to here. When I was in there, it didn’t feel like a loan move.

“There were a lot of English-speaking players, which helped, and I was open to going back again because I loved it there. But the manager here phoned me a couple of times, and I understood what the plan was here. At the time, the team just drew every match. And I watched the games back, and I couldn’t believe they hadn’t won a game. I honestly thought they should’ve been right at the top of the table at that point.

“But that’s the level of this league. I think it gets looked down upon, to be honest; every team has got something. We struggled away to Livingston, for example. We managed to get a last-minute winner, but it was anything but easy.”

Welsh has since played a key part in Motherwell’s rise up the table and continues to prove he’s more than capable at this level. Whether his long-term future lies at Celtic or elsewhere, he’s made one thing clear: he’s still got plenty to offer.