NIR BITTON has been speaking to Paul Cuddihy as part of the Celtic View Editor’s excellent Hoops at Home video conversations. Bitton is back home in Israel and interestingly enough, reveals that the lockdown ver there has eased somewhat over the past few days.
He also spoke about the frustration that the Celtic players share, having had their great run of form as they were serving towards more glory, halted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
‘Since we came back from Dubai we’ve been on an unbelievable run and we had an amazing form,” Bitton said.
Bitton is pictured above celebrating the win against the Rangers at Ibrox last September with his manager. The Israeli midfielder, who has been converted to a very capable central defender since Neil Lennon returned to the club, was absolutely outstanding in that match, before going off with an injury near the end.
He certainly has a special relationship with Neil Lennon, who of course was the manager who signed him back in August 2013 and also gave him a new contract at the end of last year which will see him staying at Celtic for a decade – a quite remarkable achievement for the player.
“He’s the manager who brought me to Celtic, he’s the manager who gave me the opportunity, and I’ll be very grateful to him for the rest of my life,” Bitton told the Celtic View Editor, as reported by the official Celtic site.
“Me and the gaffer have a very good relationship. He’s a very honest man, he’s a top man to work with, the one-on-one coaching is the top level, and I’ll do everything I can to make him proud.
“He came last season under not the easiest of circumstances. It was a tough time when Brendan left, and Neil came to seal the boat. For us, the senior players, we knew him from before and obviously we tried to help him, speak to the other guys about what he wants, what he’s like.”
Bitton describes his time at Celtic as a “dream come true” and is in no rush to leave the club, believing there are plenty of more glory days ahead for him and his fellow Celtic stars.
He also gives an insight from the players perspective on the sudden and remarkable emergence of Jeremy Frimpong into the Celtic set-up this season. Frimpong didn’t just make an great impression on the Celtic support it would appear.
“When I first signed with Celtic when I was 21-years-old, if you had told me back then that I would be at Celtic for 10 years, I would bite your hand off,” the 28 year -old Israeli said.
“It’s like a dream come true for me, for my family to play at this level for a long time, and I just want to keep it going and to try and help the team win games and trophies and be part of this successful club, and to make sure we’re making everyone proud.
“When you’re out for almost a year, and you suffer a tough injury, you start to appreciate the small things in life, and you don’t take the simple things in life for granted. I’ve said it before, that every single minute I get on the pitch I will try to do my best and try to help the team.
“I was out for a year, so I know what it’s like not being able to do what you love to do, so for me right now, it’s about trying to stay fit, stay healthy, play as many games as I can and win trophies with Celtic.”
