Stephen Welsh lifts lid on Celtic transfer exit sweat as Motherwell star reveals ‘edge’ to Rangers showdown
The former Scotland U21 star sealed a loan switch back to Fir Park just minutes before the winter window slammed shut
13:44, 09 Feb 2026Updated 19:33, 09 Feb 2026
Stephen Welsh(Image: Sky Sports)
Stephen Welsh admits he was left in the dark right up until the final minutes of the January transfer window before he was allowed to re-join to Motherwell.
The centre back was shipped out by Celtic on loan to Fir Park last summer and became a key part of Jens Berthel Askou’s high-flying Steelmen, only to be recalled at the start of the window to provide additional cover in defence for interim boss Martin O’Neill.
Welsh – who was also a target for Aberdeen – made two appearances for the Hoops before finally getting the greenlight to head back to Lanarkshire after the Premiership champions were able to bolster their defensive ranks with the arrival of Bournemouth loanee Benjamin Arthur.
And while he concedes it was frustrating not knowing where he would be after the 111pm deadline, Welsh, 26, has thanked Motherwell for their patience during the saga. He told Sky Sports: “It was right up until the last few minutes. It was a hectic day and there were a lot of fifty-fifties of will it happen or will it not?
“But I was just happy to get it over the line. What’s important for me is to go and play for the rest of the season, especially with how good we have been. It is a wee bit difficult because you kind of don’t know where you are going to be.
“Because we’ve had such a good few months, I was itching to get back. When I went back there (Celtic), I wasn’t really playing and it can be difficult.
“But the conversations between the manager here and at Celtic were good, they were very open and honest. Although it did go up until the last few minutes, I think both parties are happy with how it ended up.
“Pretty much from when I went back into Celtic it was fifty-fifty on whether I would come back here. I can only thank the club for waiting and pushing away other targets. It was down to the manager and the board at Motherwell to come and get me again and I am very grateful that they held on.”
Stephen Welsh (L) and Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou had formed a strong relationship at Fir Park
The Steelmen could move to within five points of Rangers with a game in hand with victory against Danny Rohl’s men on Wednesday and Welsh admits that does give the fixture some extra spice.
He added: “It’s no secret how big the game is on Wednesday. Obviously when Celtic or Rangers come to Fir Park it’s massive for the club but this one has got a wee bit of an edge to it.
“We performed really well at Ibrox and came away disappointed that we didn’t get something out of the game. The points gap is a lot tighter than everyone thinks so to go and get a victory on Wednesday night would be massive for us.
“It’s not really spoken about to be honest (finishing in the top three). It’s an old cliché in football but we will take it one game at a time.
“We’ve had the disappointment of having the last two games cancelled so everyone is raring to go and there is no better way to play here against Rangers.”
