Celtic centre-back Carl Starfelt has stated that the trophy day tributes for Tom Rogic and Nir Bitton was a “moment that touched all of us”.
Rogic and Bitton have both decided to call time on their respective Celtic careers. The duo spent 9 years each at Parkhead in what was a trophy-laden era for the football club.
This season has seen a new squad built by Ange Postecoglou with plenty of last season’s deadwood either discarded or refusing to show further loyalty to the club. Rogic and Bitton, however, didn’t go anywhere as they played their part in bringing the title back to Glasgow’s East End.
And Swedish international Starfelt has paid a glowing tribute to both men in comments that highlight just how close this squad grew together this term.
As quoted by the Scottish Sun, Starfelt said: “For me, I have played with Nir and Tom for only one year at Celtic. But it feels like we have become friends. We all got very close to each other this season.
“We have the biggest respect for Tom and Nir for what they have done for this club for the last nine years or so. It was a moment that touched all of us and the fans. You could see on the faces of Tom and Nir that they were also very touched about leaving this great club.”
Tom Rogic and Nir Bitton receive fitting send-offs for sensational Celtic contributions
It’s so easy to underestimate just how big Rogic and Bitton have been for Celtic over the last decade. The roles they played in our era of dominance under Brendan Rodgers and even in the early days under Neil Lennon were fantastic.
They’ve proven to be big players for the football club once again this season despite the fact they’ve had to get used to a totally new style of play and training environment. That they adapted so seamlessly to it speaks volumes of not only the manager but the players themselves.
Starfelt’s words here are full of emotion too. You could see when Rogic went off on Saturday just how close this Celtic squad are. Everyone went up to congratulate and embrace him. it was a stunning moment and one that makes you so proud to be a Celtic supporter.
The overbearing subplot of Rogic and Bitton’s departure certainly added a massive element of sadness into the Parkhead scenes at the weekend. There will have been more than a few Celtic fans teary-eyed either at Parkhead or watching the game live on TV.
It’s always comforting to think of them potentially staying on for another year or 2 and adding to their respective legacies here. But at the end of the day, we’ve seen in the past just how important it is for popular club figures to go out on a high. It does so much for their reputations, and that’s exactly what Rogic and Bitton are protecting by leaving now.
The level of respect the Celtic dressing room has for either man is brilliant to see. Fingers crossed they manage to be successful wherever they end up.
In other news, Motherwell boss’ frantic pre-Celtic Park squad decision; lauds Hoops quality
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