Filip Benkovic has spoken out after his loan move from Leicester to Leuven in the Belgian league.
There was talk over the weekend of a Celtic reunion for the Croatian but those hopes were quickly dashed when the news of the OH Leuven move became public
Leicester have an arrangement with the club and have sent two players out on-loan already with Filip being the third.
It’s thought they’ll have a bigger say on game time for the centre-back.
Cardiff didn’t play him at all and there’s no guarantees at Celtic.
A lot of Celtic fans were hoping for a return but in the end, it wasn’t to be.
Speaking to SunSport said: “I really liked being at Celtic.
“I felt very happy and had a very good season, we won the title and two cups. I am still very proud of that.
“But the ambitions of this club and the conversation with the coach convinced me to take this step.
“I hardly played at Cardiff City in recent months.
“They didn’t speak much to me there. When I asked why I barely played, I was told they were quite happy with me.
“But in the end, the coach opted again for the guys who were there last season. It made no sense to stay there.
“Here I want to make a fresh start and find my best form.
“It all happened very quickly. I didn’t even have time to discuss my decision with Andy King and Josh Eppiah.
“I’ve been following Belgian football for quite a long time. In Croatia we often get to see images of the Jupiler Pro League.
“So I already knew that this competition is home to many young, talented players. Both the intensity and the general level are quite high.
“I have yet to learn to stay focused for 90 minutes. At the age of 23 I am still young and I realise that there are quite a few aspects that need to be improved.
“I am convinced that I can evolve at OH Leuven. I have already spoken to the coach, it was a nice conversation with an ambitious man.”
Celtic are still in the market for a centre-back with Jullien out of action for most of the second half of the season. The bhoys league challenge is over after a draw against Hibs where a patched up side lost a last minute equaliser. To the realists in our support it’s all about building for next seasons
