It’s never easy leaving a club like Celtic, but many have done it with differing results.
Those who have been good enough to wear Celtic colours over the last decade have known and dealt with the pressures of playing for Scotland’s premier club.
Whether it’s Neil Lennon’s debut season, Ange Postecoglou’s, or Brendan Rodgers’ comeback, nothing but trophies have been accepted and delivered.
Some players have left for high fees, such as Matt O’Riley, who joined Brighton this summer, and Kieran Tierney, who joined Arsenal in 2019.
All of those transfers were to the Premier League, except for Ryan Christie, who joined Bournemouth while they were in the English Championship.
Christie departed Celtic in 2021 and has since fought his way up to the Premier League, proving that he deserves on such a high stage.
Ryan Christie shines as Bournemouth beat Newcastle United
Over the weekend, an injured Bournemouth side traveled to St James’ Park to face Newcastle United, who had won nine games in a row in all competitions.
However, by the final whistle, the Cherries had secured a deserved and unbelievable 4-1 victory, with Christie at the ‘heart’ of the action.
Jamie Carragher praised the former Celtic player, telling Sky Sports that he had been’so pleased’ by the ambidextrous midfielder.
Host David Jones also stated that Christie is ‘unheralded’ outside of Bournemouth, which is unlikely given that he is well-known and liked in Glasgow.
“This Bournemouth side’s unbeaten run goes on,” Jones told the crowd. “How much does it have to do with the unheralded, and I say unheralded because he is obviously not from Bournemouth? Ryan Christie. This was how he performed against Newcastle on Saturday. With the most touches, tackles, duals, and passes into the final third, he had three shoots, ranking second, and just one player ran more than him. Overall, he has won more possession per 90 minutes than any other player this season.
Carragher stated: “The reason I was so impressed, not just with Ryan Christie, but with Bournemouth, was because you come up against a Newcastle team or a Newcastle midfield, which I believe has been the finest midfield in the Premier League in the last few months.
“We knew Bournemouth liked to press 4-4-2, so it was incredibly interesting to see how they did it. It was great, and he (Christie) was there in the center of it. We know they like to press, and Ryan Christie exudes enthusiasm.”
Christie on why he left Celtic
Christie enjoyed great success in Celtic colours, winning eight titles during his stay in Glasgow before leaving.
When you leave a team like Celtic, the pressure is always reduced, and the versatile midfielder’s decision was not simple.
But Christie explained to Dorset Live in 2021 why it was the ideal time to quit Parkhead and join Bournemouth, who were in England’s second tier at the time.
“I was ready for something different,” Christie explained. “I was at Celtic for six years; I’d played in Scotland my entire career, and I wanted to try something new.
“It had gotten to the point where we [Celtic] were thinking that if we don’t win the treble, we won’t be successful, which is a ridiculous standard to set. When it eventually went the other way, it shocked everyone, even fans and players. We weren’t used to it, so it hit us hard.
“You learn more from failure. I learned about myself as a person, how I deal with my emotions outside of sports, and how to switch myself off [from the pressure]. I now see how essential that aspect of things may be.At a club like Celtic, it’s nearly difficult to avoid football, but I had to learn how to do so, and sometimes you have to learn the hard way.”
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