Olivier Ntcham’s Celtic contract is coming back to haunt him

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It’s not even a year since the paperwork was signed, but Olivier Ntcham’s Celtic contract is already coming back to haunt him.

The big Frenchman seemed happy at Parkhead a year ago. He had just come off an impressive debut season with a Scottish Cup final goal and the first three trophies of his senior career. You can throw in a first ever Champions League campaign to0.

It was going so well that he penned a new four-year contract back in November (CelticFC.net). This came after initial interest from Porto last summer would come to nothing (Goal).

Yet, as we all know, he’s been out slating the Scottish league and wanting a move away according to L’Equipe. But Ntcham signed his own stumbling block last season with the new contract. Celtic manager Neil Lennon, meanwhile, has been quick to remind him of it too as he spoke to the Scottish Sun.

“It’s funny that, isn’t it? Is he angling for a move? I think that’s pretty obvious. We hold all the cards here. As a manager, you don’t want to keep a player who isn’t happy.

“But this hasn’t been driven by us. It’s been done by the individual.”

Olivier Ntcham’s Celtic contract means we call the shots

The Scottish Sun has confirmed that Ntcham isn’t in Bosnia for tonight’s clash with Sarajevo. Ideally, he would’ve back and ready for the contest, but it’s probably for the best he misses out. He should be nowhere near the team with this current attitude.

But Lennon’s comments prove that Ntcham made a big blunder in signing that new deal. He can’t pick and choose when he wants to commit and when to just walk away from his contract. Or at least not without consequences in any case.

You have to wonder whether Ntcham seriously regrets his actions last November. It’s a contract that everyone was pleased with at the time, and clearly the player was as well. So, therefore, it’s odd to see him come out and be so negative towards the club.

It’s also not as if anything drastically bad has happened to Ntcham over the last eight months. He’s had a poor campaign, but that’s been more down to his own attitude than anything else.

His Celtic career was still extremely retrievable and still probably is if he decides to knuckle down. But it’s clear that Lennon isn’t buying any lost in translation garbage either.

Whether we want to admit it or not, Ntcham has stuck the fingers up to the club and our nation’s standard of football. God help him when Lennon gets a hold of him – his explanation would certainly be fascinating to hear.

But regardless of what happens, Ntcham signed the power of his future over to us last year. And it’ll be down to Celtic as to whether he stays or goes.