Odsonne Edouard has hit back at “angry fans” who questioned his commitment and attitude during his final months as a Celtic player. Edouard moved to Crystal Palace for a fee in the region of £14 million at the end of the transfer window, joining an exodus of players from the club.
The Frenchman has scored three in seven in England, prompting groans from some Celtic supporters as to the his application last season. However, Edouard has rebuked all such claims, insisting that it is coming from “angry fans” who were hurt at losing their first SPFL title in 10 years.
Speaking to talkSPORT on whether his desire had gone, he said: “No, this is not true. “I think the fans said this because all the team played bad last season. “Personally, I always give 100 per cent for the team and 100 per cent on the field.”
The classy striker also says the stats prove otherwise, with him finishing top goalscorer last season. He said: “I always try to score and I finished top scorer last year.”
Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur Premier League Odsonne Edouard of Crystal Palace celebrates scoring his sides third goal against Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match at Selhurst Park, London PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUKxCHN Copyright: xNigelxBramleyx FIL-15861-0083
Edouard joined Celtic in a then record £9 million move from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2018, at the age of just 19. It’s safe to say the club recouped their investment in terms of return on the pitch. Amongst his 86 goals in 179 games for the club he scored a few memorable ones. None remain ingrained more so than the winner at Ibrox in 2018, when we were down to 10 men after Jozo Simunovic was sent off. Brendan Rodgers sent on Odsonne and he delivered emphatically with a beautiful goal -fit enough to win any match.
Photo: Ian McNichol
Odsonne was always going to be destined for the big leagues, and Celtic played a crucial part in his development. The player himself acknowledges this, but concedes the allure of the English league was too much to ignore. On his development at Celtic before he transferred to the Premier League, he added: “I think it was good because when I started at Celtic I was only 19. I was a young player. This for a young player I think is very good.”
On the pull of English football, he added: “Yeah, it was a great opportunity for me. I think it was a good moment for me to change and start a new chapter of my life, and I took it.”
Paul Gillespie
