Joe Ledley was a hero to many Celtic supporters during his time at the club.
Neil Lennon made the shrewd move to take Ledley to Celtic on a free transfer beating off the likes of Rangers, Roma and Stoke in 2010.
In that time, the Welsh midfielder won three league titles and a Scottish Cup and Ledley was also part of the famous Celtic side that beat Barcelona in 2012.
However, Ledley left Celtic in 2014 and joined Crystal Palace and here, he reveals the unknown clause he negotiated that made him reluctantly leave Parkhead for the Premier League.
The buy-back clause Joe Ledley demanded in order to leave Celtic
Ledley spent four incredible years at Celtic and ensured that the Parkhead club dominated over Rangers during that time.
However, Ledley freely admits that he didn’t want to leave the club when Crystal Palace came in for him but it was an unknown clause he negotiated that convinced him to take a chance on the then Premier League strugglers.
Ledley told The Official Celtic FC Podcast, “I didn’t want to leave. I had everyone over my house. But for me, family was key to move closer to home.
“My wife and kid, I think they wanted to go back, to be closer to the grandparents and family. And again, for me, an opportunity to play in the Premier League was probably my last chance.
“Coming to 26 years of age, to play in the Premier League and see what it’s about.
“And, like I said, being down south in Cardiff, that’s what you follow. We follow a lot of the Premier League and I thought this is my time and need to show what I can do.
“And it was a difficult move because Palace were bottom at the time. But I managed to get a buy-back clause if we got relegated. So that was big in the decision making as well.
“It’s sad that it came to an end. I loved my time. It’s the best time of my life at Celtic.”
What happened to Joe Ledley after he left Celtic a hero?
Ledley retired from football in 2021 after playing for seven clubs, including Celtic, being capped 77 times for Wales and winning three trophies in Scotland.
So what happened to him after he left Celtic? Here is how Ledley’s career went:
- Crystal Palace: 83 league appearances: FA Cup runner-up in 2016
- 2017 joined Derby County and made 30 league appearances.
- A 2019 move to Charlton with just one league appearance.
- 2020 move to Australia and joined Newcastle Jets and made just six appearances.
- 2021 joined League One side Newport County and made four appearances.
Now out of football, Ledley has dabbled in some TV punditry and covered Euro 2020 with ITV.
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