Nicholas says Celtic forced him out in 1983, but his most revealing admission may have been what came next. The former Hoops striker now believes he should have joined Liverpool instead of Arsenal.
Nicholas has claimed he never planned to leave Celtic in 1983 and believes the club pushed him towards the exit.
More than four decades later, his comments offer a fascinating insight into how he views that departure.
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Celtic exit to Arsenal still frustrates Charlie Nicholas
Appearing on the Let’s Be Frank podcast, Nicholas reflected on a Celtic exit he believes left him with little choice but to consider Liverpool and Arsenal.
Nicholas told Frank McAvennie, “I mean I am a Celtic fan but Arsenal as a team as a club treated me much better than Celtic ever treated me and so I have a strong affection with them. And the fans respected me greatly.
“I mean if I was really honest I should have gone to Liverpool but I wouldn’t have played. I would have been on the bench and there were two subs at the time because the king [Kenny Dalglish] and Rush were the best two forwards in the world at the time.
“So, I would have had to be patient and take my time. I didn’t have the patience. I was young. I was playing for Celtic every week. I was adored by Celtic fans for a long time. Then we were getting into the aspects of where your career was going to go.
“The one thing I never planned to leave Celtic at that time. I wanted to stay on for a bit longer, but Celtic were a selling club. Forced me out the door. And then I had a decision to make and that decision and the decision was Arsenal.”
Rather than presenting himself as a player eager to leave, Nicholas insists he wanted to remain at Celtic longer. His description of the club as a “selling club” and his claim that they “forced me out the door” reveal a disappointment that has clearly never fully disappeared.
Nicholas was one of the most exciting talents Scottish football had produced in years. Before his move south, he scored 90 goals in 120 appearances for Celtic, including a remarkable 48-goal haul during the 1982/83 campaign.
Those numbers helped earn him a move to Arsenal worth around £750,000, one of the biggest transfer fees received by a Scottish club at the time. Yet his latest comments suggest his issue is not with the move itself, but with how it came about.
Celtic exit led Charlie Nicholas to reject Liverpool for Arsenal
The most interesting part of the interview may actually be Nicholas’ honesty about Liverpool. Looking back, he admits Anfield was probably the better football destination.
However, he also admits he lacked the patience to wait behind Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush, who he describes as the best forward partnership in the world at the time. For a 21-year-old playing every week and adored by Celtic supporters, sitting on the bench held little appeal.
That admission offers a fascinating insight into the decision-making process. Nicholas believes Celtic pushed him towards the exit, but once that happened he chose immediate opportunity at Arsenal over waiting for a place in one of Europe’s greatest teams.
Decades later, those two thoughts appear to remain with him. He still feels Celtic accelerated his departure, and he now recognises Liverpool may have been the road not taken.
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