CHRIS JULLIEN is joining Tom Rogic and Nir Bitton and leaving the club, going by what the defender has said. The defender has expressed his frustration about the lack of minutes since returning from the horrific knee injury.

He’s made one last plea to Ange, asking to play for the full ninety minutes on Saturday to mark his farewell.

The manager has not publically announced his plans for the French defender, but the proof is in the pudding. Since returning from injury, Jullien has only played once for the Hoops, coming off the bench to a standing ovation from the Celtic support against Raith Rovers.

Quoted by the Daily Record, the defender said;

“If conditions don’t change, it’s certain on my side the door will be open to continue my career elsewhere.

“For the last match, if the coach could give me 90 minutes, that would be great.

“Despite the fact that I gave everything for this club and I would have liked to bring more to the team this year, the playing time is not there at all.

“I still have a year of contract here and I would like to continue playing but my priority is to be on the pitch. But in my situation and with this playing time, it is not possible.

“Since mid-January, I feel 100 per cent, after that it is the choice of the coach.

“For my part, I told the coach in January that I was ready to go. Now it’s his choice and sometimes he doesn’t take me on the bench because he prefers to take a midfielder who can play in central defence.

“I’m still unsatisfied with my playing time this season because it’s frustrating and all I want is to be on the pitch.

“It’s a shame that the defender doesn’t seem to be able to recover from the injury he sustained while playing behind closed doors.”

Postecoglou has praised the defender, admitting he is training well, but it’s hard to disrupt the solid partnership of Carl Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers, who have played their part in the best defensive record in the league.

Furthermore, it seems that Stephen Welsh is above a Frenchman in the pecking order, with Postecoglou turning to him on numerous occasions to come onto the pitch from the bench.

2 COMMENTS

  1. Chris has had a raw deal.
    Better player than Starfelt but can see why Starfelt is playing as his form has improved ( mainly due to CCV).
    What is ridiculous tho is that Welsh is being preferred on the bench.
    Welsh is nowhere near the player that Jullien is. His performance as sub against Sevco in the cup semi only confirmed that he’s not Celtic class

  2. Welsh meets the UEFA criteria of needing 4 players who came through the clubs own youth system in your 25 man ‘A’ squad for European competition. Clubs need 8 players in total from their country’s national league in their 25 man squad, including those 4, which is maybe why he’s being picked ahead of Jullien?

    The club basically has room in its Champions League A squad for 17 players not ‘homegrown’, which leads to a delicate balancing act on the clubs and managers part in getting the best 17 it can, and it appears in Julliens (and others like Bitton) case, that possibly the manager doesn’t have room for them?

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