Celtic target Sydney van Hooijdonk should be sitting on the Bologna bench behind compatriot Joshua Zirkzee - and that's according to his DAD!

Former Hoops hero Pierre refused to indulge in any form of nepotism in tipping Zirkzee to make the step up to the Netherlands national squad before Euro 2024. Van Hooijdonk Jnr has admitted that he may need to leave the Serie A side on loan in January due to a lack of game time. And his father's former club Celtic have been linked with a move, as reports in Italy say the Scottish Premiership champions have made their interest known to Bologna.

That could see Sydney follow in Pierre's footsteps after the latter spent 18 months at Celtic Park between 1995 and 1997. A short term switch would suit the player, given his desire to see more action on the pitch, while Brendan Rodgers needs attacking cover with Kyogo and Oh set to be missing on Asian Cup duty with Japan and South Korea respectively.

It would be tempting for Van Hooijdonk snr to fight his boy's corner and demand he get more of a chance at Bologna uner Thiago Motta. But he went the other way, insisting it was RIGHT that his boy warms the bench given Zirkzee's form. He has four goals in 12 Serie A appearances and given the Dutch's dearth of strikers, van Hooijdonk reckons he'll be called up before long.

Asked about Zirkzee keeping his son out of the side, van Hooijdonk told NOS: “And that is right, because he is doing really fantastic. If you are talking about boys who are overlooked, then he is someone who will not look out of place in this Dutch team. I say 'will look out of place' on purpose, because given the limited number of centre-forwards we have, I cannot imagine that he will not be there in March.”