It feels like Erik Sviatchenko played for Celtic for longer than he actually did.
Over 63 Bhoys appearances, Sviatchenko became something of a cult hero. Not everyone was sold on the Danish defender, but those who liked him appreciated him a great deal.
Certainly, there was surprise when Celtic let him go back to FC Midtjylland, where he is now club captain [BBC]. Even today, there are plenty in the support who feel we cut the likeable Dane loose far too early.
Very obviously a massive Celtic supporter, Sviatchenko can regularly be heard talking about his time at the club. With news of Scott Brown’s summer move to Aberdeen, the centre-back has recalled the time Brown fined him a whopping £600 for using the toilet.
Sviatchenko told the BBC:
“Normally we would go for a walk first [before a meal] but I’d misunderstood.
“I was there for a couple of minutes then I thought we would have our pre-match meal, but they had gone for a walk first… Kris Ajer and Stuart Armstrong were doing this “quickly, quickly, quickly” [gesture].
“I knew Scott Brown had seen me turning up late and then there was obviously a fine. [I] thought it was much higher than it was so when I said to him, “okay, I know that I was late, I’ll pay £600”, he said immediately, “yeah, okay, let’s do that”.
“Six months later I figured out the fine was only £150.”
Scott Brown and Erik Sviatchenko: big Celtic characters
For one thing, it’s a funny example of Broony taking the mick out of a naïve team-mate. Always good.
It’s also an indication of the esteem Brown is held in by his colleagues. Don’t get me wrong, I never have been nor will I ever, at 29, be a professional footballer. However, I can’t imagine that even at elite clubs, someone would get fined £600 by their captain just for going to the toilet.
The fact that Erik Sviatchenko willingly parted with that much cash for such a minor infraction is funny, yes, but also a mark of the unquestioned command Brown has at the club. His fellow professionals just respect him. What he says goes.
That’ll be incredibly hard to replace. Yes, we have leaders in Callum McGregor, Christopher Jullien. Do we have anyone with the sheer gallus and charisma of Broony, though? It’s hard to argue that we do.
We know he had to leave at some point. For a number of factors, it’s probably the best thing for the club overall. But, funny as it sounds, this kind of anecdote is bittersweet. Two reasons: 1. Sviatchenko should’ve been at Celtic longer, and 2. we might never see the likes of Broony again.
READ MORE: Rejoice! Celtic youngster makes an impression on the international stage.
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