Ex-Celtic Player Names 'Sad' Brendan Rodgers Decision That Caused Him to Leave
A lot of players have left Celtic since the arrival of Brendan Rodgers as manager in the summer of 2023. The Northern Irishman is shaping the squad based on what he needs and that is very understandable.
One of the players who has left the club in recent times is Sead Haksabanovic. He departed Celtic last summer in order to join Malmo.
It is easy to forget but Haksabanovic had actually made a very good start to life at Celtic. He had even won the Premiership Player of the Month for November 2022 and it looked like the club had pulled off another transfer masterstroke under the management of Ange Postecoglou.
But then came the World Cup break. Haksabanovic was never able to rediscover his form or his place in the squad after it.
Postecoglou would leave the club in the summer of 2023 in order to join Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. Rodgers came in to replace him and that was a move that did not help Haksabaovic.
According to the Daily Record, Haksabanovic said to The Celtic Way: "The moment of realisation was when we played Athletic Club for James Forrest’s testimonial, and the manager switched the whole team, but I didn’t play.
"I knew that I would not get any minutes, so I looked to leave on loan to get some game time, in order to come back a better player.
"I wanted to be at Celtic and play for Celtic, but when the manager told me that I was not part of his plan, I got sad – but that’s football, and you need to keep going."
Haksabanovic would end up leaving Celtic in order to join Stoke City on a loan basis. He started brightly there as well but would soon end up losing his form. As a result, the English club did not end up signing him on a permanent basis.
Haksabanovic would complete a permanent exit in the summer though, joining Malmo. It has not exactly gone according to plan there so far either as he has had to deal with injury problems but he has made his return to the pitch recently and is finally getting some game time.
_(1)_(1)-a8b9e3263c07ebedffea3eb09b7fe486.png "Sourav Mahanty")
Sourav, a seasoned sports journalist, holds a Master’s degree in English from Amity University, graduating in 2022. He has been a prominent contributor to FanSided since 2017, primarily covering Celtic, where he has built a strong online presence over the years. His love for the game extends beyond Celtic, having also covered renowned soccer teams such as Manchester United, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, FC Barcelona, and Chelsea. In addition to his passion for soccer, Sourav is an avid basketball enthusiast. He has written extensively about NBA teams like the Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, and Chicago Bulls.