One of the strangest off-field stories has emerged this morning.
Former Celtic defender Gustaf Lagerbielke has been officially listed as a missing person in the Netherlands — despite now playing his football in Portugal.
The Swedish centre-back, who joined Celtic in the summer of 2023 before spending last season on loan at FC Twente, completed a permanent move to Braga earlier this summer.
However, the Enschede municipality seemingly failed to register his departure from the country.
As a result, Lagerbielke appeared in a local newspaper under a missing persons notice. His last “sighting” was recorded on the same day he finalised his transfer to Braga.
The municipality explained: “The municipality has carried out extensive investigations into where these people live. This shows that we do not know where they are now. Therefore, they are being removed as residents and are listed as missing persons.” [SunSport]
In reality, there is no mystery. Lagerbielke is alive, well, and currently plying his trade in Portugal’s Primeira Liga. His only error appears to have been neglecting to inform the local authorities in Enschede of his move, which triggered the bizarre bureaucratic blunder.
It’s not every day you read about a former Celtic player being declared missing by mistake, but Lagerbielke’s case has quickly become a curiosity in both the Netherlands and Portugal. It’s quite a funny mix up, you must admit.
Celtic have brought in bodies to replace him this summer, with Maik Nawrocki and Stephen Welsh also following him out of the exit door. Simpson-Pusey is one of them, but he’s a missing person of his own, yet to play for Celtic.
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