Ryan Christie explains why he left Celtic for Bournemouth

By David Walton

September 1, 2021

Ryan Christie has explained his underwhelming switch from Celtic to Bournemouth on deadline day.

Christie had been featuring constantly under Ange Postecoglou at Parkhead before his departure last night. The Celtic boss came out and consistently stated how much he would like to keep the Scotland international at the club too [The Herald].

In the past, the player has been linked with the likes of Monaco and Nice [Sunday Post]. But with the player entering the final few months of his contract, it made Celtic for cash in now.

Yet Christie has landed in England’s second-tier when a move to one of Europe’s top leagues looked imminent only 12 months ago. And as he reacted to the move via Bournemouth’s official website, he explained his thought process.

“The attraction was a bit of everything. It sounds a bit crazy but I’ve actually had an affection for Bournemouth for years now. Believe it not Bournemouth put a bid in for me back in my Inverness days as a really young player. You could say I’ve looked out for the club for a good few years now.

“As soon as I heard the club were an option, I managed to speak to Scott Parker and with the way he spoke, he’s a big encouragement in terms of the brand of football and the way his teams play. 

“From watching what he did with Fulham and then seeing him come to Bournemouth I think I’m taking a big step in the right direction. The whole feeling of it was right and even though I did have a couple of other options this was the one that I was just desperate to get over the line. Everything was very positive [at Celtic] after a frustrating season last year, so it was about sitting down and weighing up my options, but I came to the decision that I was desperate to try this challenge and it’s the perfect time for me to try it.”

Ryan Christie to Bournemouth a sign of the 12-month decline

Christie had the world at his feet 12 months ago. A move to a top league looked imminent. It was something he’d earned at that point too due to his surreal form at Parkhead.

However, over the last 12 months there’s been a major decline in his performance levels. He’s still been playing regularly for the Hoops, but that’s mainly to do with stubborn decision-making by the former manager more than anything.

Christie has given Celtic a lot and that does need to be recognised. He was a key part of the quadruple-treble success and leaves Parkhead having achieved just about everything he could’ve dreamed of.

But there was something special brewing here under Postecoglou. The Greek-Australian was ready to place his faith in Christie too. It’s disappointing that he views Bournemouth as a more exciting project.

It looks as though his urge to test out English football has won out here. Hopefully, it’s not something he comes to regret in the coming months.

In other news, Tottenham reportedly wanted £5m for Carter-Vickers before Celtic switch