Celtic ponder loan swoop for Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard

Celtic look to be making early plans for 2016, with speculation suggesting that the Scottish champions are interested in a potential deal for current Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard.

Gerrard is poised to join Los Angeles Galaxy in the summer. According to recent reports, Celtic are considering taking Gerrard a loan from January when the 2015 Major League Soccer season ends.

Temporary transfer have are common for US-based stars over recent years. Former US international Landon Donovan endeared himself to Everton supporters during two loan spells on Merseyside, while Thierry Henry returned to Arsenal on loan from the New York Red Bulls in 2012.

Robbie Keane and David Beckham are two other high-profile players to have taken advantage of loan arrangements, although the return of MLS players to the Premier League has become a touchy subject after Frank Lampard's tenure at Manchester City.

Lampard was thought to have signed for expansion franchise New York City FC following the expiration of his Chelsea contract, with a loan move at the Etihad Stadium thought to run until January.

City, to their embarrassment, were later forced to clarify that Lampard had agreed a "head of terms commitment" with the MLS outfit that had apparently been extended until the end of the current English season.

It is not clear at this stage if Gerrard would be willing to join Celtic on a temporary basis and it seems somewhat doubtful that the former England stalwart will be thinking that far ahead into the future with Liverpool still battling for Champions League qualification.

Gerrard remains an influential figure and manager Brendan Rodgers recently confirmed that his experienced skipper is back in training after a hamstring injury that took him out of Liverpool's last seven matches.

Ronny Delia's Celtic, meanwhile, currently sit three points ahead of Aberdeen at the summit of the Scottish Premiership ahead of their cup final date with Dundee United at Hampden Park.