Current Celtic stars and former teammates of Nir Bitton have been expressing support for the Israeli international after he extended his contract at the Bhoys today.
Neil Lennon explained his decision to award the player with a new three-and-a-half-year deal earlier, telling the official club website that the 28-year-old is in the peak of his career and that they can now get the best he has to offer out of him.
The player himself is obviously delighted too and didn’t take long to log onto Instagram and share that with supporters.
He also told CelticFC.net: “It’s been an amazing six years but I just want to keep it going and make it an amazing 10 years, and hopefully I’ll do that.
“I don’t take it for granted, especially after what I’ve been through. It was a tough time for myself and my family with the injury, but I’m happy to put it behind me now.
“It’s a big statement for the club to give me a new contract and to show the trust they have in me, so I just want to show them on the pitch that I deserve a new contract and keep it going – keep winning trophies and keep winning games for Celtic, and make everyone happy.”
Support from fellow pros
Bitton’s teammates, old and new, weren’t far behind on his Instagram post with players such as Patrick Roberts, Erik Sviatchenko and Beram Kayal all quickly congratulating the player.
With the versatile star now settled and happy at Celtic Park, it’ll be interesting to see if Lennon shows less hesitance to use him in upcoming matches.
He can now be a player to invest more playing time in, whether in defence or midfield, knowing there’s no chance of him leaving for free at the end of the season.
He’s shown up well over the last 12 months and the only thing holding him back from more regular action has been fitness and injury issues.
Clearly he’s a valued member of the dressing room and an important part of the squad. He’ll now have the chance to show his best form to date.
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