MIKAEL LUSTIG has confirmed that his time as a Celtic player is at an end in an emotional post on Instagram this evening. The Swedish right back, who has been a Celtic player since early January 2012, may be leaving Celtic for the time being but he’s planning to be back in Glasgow for the Ten in a Row party sometime in the spring of 2021.
“I had no idea how much this club and everything that comes with it would mean to me when I signed 7.5 years ago,” Mikael said.
“It’s time for me and my family to move on, start a new chapter in life.
“To make a post on Instagram isn’t enough to express my feelings and thoughts about the situation.
“I wish I would’ve had the chance to get a proper good bye. I just want to say thank you to everyone I’ve had the honour to meet and work with at Celtic, all the players and staff. The memories will stay with me forever.
“Thank you to all of you that made Glasgow feel like home for me and my family for so many years.
“I will never forget your support. Hopefully I’ll see you all soon. I’ll definitely be back for the 10 in a row party!”
Celtic had an option to extend Lustig’s contract by one year but that would have meant playing him the same wages as he’s currently on. Instead Peter Lawwell, mindful that Lustig would have been a back-up squad player IF he remained at Celtic for the next two seasons.
So with plans to sign a new first pick right back in the offing, the Celtic CEO opted to suggest a new deal on reduced terms. Effectively two years for the price of one.
That deal has not been agreed and with interest from Belgium and also back in Sweden, it is now settled that Lustig has left Celtic.
What a wonderful servant he has been for Celtic.
Sandman, who writes the Player Reviews on The Celtic Star and Celtic Noise, the new Celtic fans forum, at the weekend and here’s what he had to say about Mikael Lustig – the man who scored the goal at Pittodrie that won the league and set up Odsonne Edouard for the winner in the Scottish Cup Final.
Lustig was signed by Neil Lennon on a FREE transfer from Rosenborg and must be one of the best foreigners to ever play for Celtic – certainly the second best Swede. Neil Lennon wanted Lustig to stay and so did Scott Brown and all the players.
The new right back that Peter Lawwell has presumably lined up better be some player. We saw with Jerry Toljan, on big money at Borussia Dortmund, what the standard is like for players that Celtic can attract. He was not a successful signing and was nowhere near as good as the veteran Lustig who last week played two matches for his country in the Euros and last summer was in the Sweden side at the World Cup in Russia – oh, and he was first back to play for Celtic when it mattered most, in the Champions League.
Thank you for everything! You legend ❤️ pic.twitter.com/jrvxdVYKUY
— Kieran Tierney (@kierantierney1) 19 June 2019
Talking of the Champions League, Celtic are less than three weeks away from the qualifiers and have ONE right back at the club, Anthony Ralston.
Anyway, thank You Mikael, you were one helluva fine Celtic Star…
