Former Celtic winger Charly Musonda has spoken candidly about the chain of events that ultimately forced him to unfortunately retire from football at just 28 years old…
The Belgian winger arrived in Glasgow amid significant hype during the January transfer window of the 2017–18 season, brought in by Brendan Rodgers as one of Europe’s most promising young prospects.
Prior to that move, Musonda had enjoyed an 18-month loan spell with Real Betis in La Liga and had already made his mark at Chelsea, even finding the net in the Premier League. Expectations surrounding his career trajectory were high.
However, his stint at Celtic proved to be a turning point for the worse. The move signalled the beginning of a dramatic decline in his career, as he has now revealed.
Following the early termination of his loan in Scotland, Musonda suffered a major injury during Chelsea’s subsequent pre-season preparations – a setback he discussed in an interview with BBC Sport.
He said: “I won’t lie. Mentally, yes, it’s been very difficult. One studs up tackle cost me four years of my career. Doctors told me I had a 20 per cent chance of ever playing again. During the September international break, I was playing a friendly in Antwerp.”
Musonda opted to proceed with surgery on the advice of his own specialist, despite reservations from Chelsea’s medical staff. His rehabilitation, initially expected to last around ten months, was significantly prolonged due to restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted access to training and recovery facilities.
Determined to regain full fitness, the midfielder took matters into his own hands by travelling to Dubai to undertake privately funded physiotherapy. The decision resulted in disciplinary action from Chelsea, but Musonda believes it was crucial in aiding his recovery.
Although there were early indications of interest from then-manager Thomas Tuchel, the former Hoops winger was ultimately unable to break back into the first team. He departed Stamford Bridge in 2022 without making another appearance.
Musonda added: “I met Tuchel in the car park and he told me he knew who I was from [Borussia] Dortmund and to be ready for the following pre-season.
“I came back and was told to sign a contract at half my salary and to go out on loan by Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini, the loan coach.
“I was also told I would be training with the Under-23s but I pulled one of Tuchel’s coaches aside and he said it was a mistake – that I was travelling with them to Ireland the next day for the tour. I trained there and I got Covid. A nightmare. When I returned, Tuchel told me there was some animosity in the front office.
“I said I would have played for free that season to prove myself at Chelsea and that if I wasn’t good enough, I would walk away when my contract expired. I knew from September that I wouldn’t play and it was tough, especially after being told I had only a 20 per cent chance of playing football again when I had the surgery to then feeling fully fit.”
“I just needed an opportunity at Chelsea, but it was a tough sell after so long out. Mentally, that was one of the toughest moments. It killed me. Chelsea was where I wanted to make it.”
After a brief and underwhelming spell at Levante, which was cut short following the club’s failure to achieve promotion and the implementation of financial cutbacks, Musonda moved on to continue his career in Cyprus with Anorthosis Famagusta.
His time there also proved difficult, as issues over unpaid wages led to his departure and, ultimately, his retirement from professional football in 2024.
Since hanging up his boots, Musonda has settled in Los Angeles, where he is working on the development of the LS1 Football League – a one-versus-one football concept tailored for online audiences.
During his stint at Celtic, he made eight appearances, including only two starts. His most notable moment came in European competition, when he provided the assist for Callum McGregor’s winning goal against Zenit St Petersburg in the Europa League.
Conor Spence
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