Alan Thompson shares what happened with Gordon Strachan which ended his Celtic career

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Alan Thompson has shared a conversation he had with Gordon Strachan which effectively ended his Celtic career.

Thompson is widely regarded as a Celtic hero for his European and domestic exploits for Celtic back in the early 2000’s.

One of Martin O’Neill‘s first signings, the former Newcastle man joined Celtic from Aston Villa in a £2.75m move in August 2000. [The Guardian]

In his six years at the club he won four league titles, two Scottish Cups and a League Cup. He also picked up a treble in his maiden season which was Celtic’s first since the Jock Stein era.

Thompson was also a Scottish Cup runner-up in 2001 and a League Cup runner-up in 2003 and was part of the O’Neill side that took Celtic to the UEFA Cup Final in 2003 which we eventually lost to Jose Mourinho’s Porto.

So it’s fair to say he is widely regarded as a legend in many Celtic supporters’ eyes. However, as his time at Celtic came to an end, Thompson shared the conversation he had with the then manager, Gordon Strachan, which ultimately led to the end of his Hoops career.

Strachan lets Thompson leave Celtic

It was during a preseason tour of America that Thompson realised that he was wasting his time at Celtic.

Used sparingly by Strachan, Thompson decided to confront the Hoops gaffer and put an end to his Celtic career.

Thompson said [Daily Record], “Gordon had put me on in a game against DC United with two minutes to go and I just thought ‘What’s the point in being here?’

“I went home the next day. It was a joint decision.

“I spoke to Gordon, he said he understood I wasn’t getting the game time I wanted.

“The writing was on the wall at that point. I left the club the next January.”

Thompson then left to join Leeds United on loan in January 2007 and that move was made permanent the following summer.

He was made captain and scored on his debut in a win over Southend United with one of his trademark free kicks. [Leeds United]

He left Leeds after just one season before moving on to Hartlepool United on loan in 2008 where he played just eight games before hanging up his boots.

Thompson was capped just once by England in 2004 after impressing for Celtic in Europe.