Marvin Compper’s Celtic future has been up in the air for a while, but has he just ended it?
The German has recently made comments to German news outlet BILD about his time at Celtic. Compper, who was signed from Leipzig back in December, has only made one competitive appearance at Parkhead.
The experienced centre-back has therefore stated that his Celtic teammates don’t know why he isn’t starting every week. He also claims that he’s fit and ready to go, and that his omissions are simply down to being out-of-favor.
“I’m fit and I train very well. Even my team-mates do not understand why I do not play.
“In the summer I had a calf injury. I got an athletic trainer and a physio at my own expense and made myself fit. Now it is up to the coach Brendan Rodgers to finally give me the trust.
“I still have a contract until 2020, but of course I do not want to sit on the bench. In August, Celtic suggested to me about a change of club. But I do not want to move on so easily. I hope for my chance and want to play.”
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A high opinion
It’s clear that Compper certainly has an high opinion of himself. The German strongly feels that he should be starting on a weekly basis, and apparently his teammates do also.
Celtic supporters have been of the view that Compper has simply not been match-fit for a long time. His Celtic spell has pretty much been a bad joke up until this point, and many just want him off the wage bill.
The main aspect here, however, is that Brendan Rodgers is highly unlikely to be pleased that his centre-back has told the press of his situation. There has been many incidents in the past where players have spoken to outlets from their homeland and felt safe to do so. Rodgers, however, most likely won’t be satisfied with Compper’s comments.
Celtic clearly wanted him out of the door in August, and it’s tough to see where he now fits in. Both Filip Benkovic and Dedryck Boyata are the first-choice centre-backs at the moment. Granted, that could change in January if Benkovic or either both leave the club.
But Compper isn’t the man Celtic fans will be hoping Rodgers relies on for the second half of the season.
His comments certainly won’t have helped any, and his Celtic future is now likely to be in further doubt.