Christopher Jullien

Christopher Jullien knows all about the highs and lows of being a footballer, having experienced the two extremes in the space of 10 days last December.

Just before Christmas, he was part of the Celtic team that won the Scottish Cup to secure their fourth consecutive domestic treble – the first for the Frenchman.

Just 10 days later, in the last fixture of 2020, he suffered a leg injury five minutes into the second-half in the home game against Dundee United, an injury that would rule him out for the remainder of the season.

That was a blow to the team, and to the player himself, who endured a frustrating time having to watch his team-mates from afar without being able to be out on the park alongside them.

Now, though, after months of work on his recovery, the 28-year-old defender sees light at the end of the tunnel and is hoping to be back training and playing with his Celtic team-mates before too long.

Speaking exclusively to the Celtic View podcast, Chris Jullien said: “At the moment when I got injured, I remember Odsonne coming up to me and saying, ‘Chris, don’t worry. It’s going to be okay, it’s going to be okay.’

‘I was devastated. Every time in my career when I’ve had a little injury, I always thought I would come back really fast.’

“The first thing I said to him was that I was going to miss the Rangers game. It was a really important game that could have put our season on the other side, so to miss that was really difficult in my mind. And then to miss all the rest of the games was so painful.




I was devastated. Every time in my career when I’ve had a little injury, I always thought I would come back really fast.

“So to have those ups and downs – I missed about a month and a half because of my back, and then I came back, I was feeling good, we won the trophy and everything was really good and I was thinking the season was coming and we would be coming back.

“I just missed the adrenaline and everything we have when we play football, so to have to watch my team-mates on the screen was just painful because you can’t do anything. I would text them some times and wish them luck. It’s been a long time and it was really difficult.

'The fans make our opponents fear when they come into our stadium and even in their stadium, so it’s something that we missed this season and I just hope to see them next season because we definitely need them for everything that we can achieve.'

“Seriously, my family was crazy when they were watching me watching the games, either I’d be talking too much or I couldn’t watch some moments in the game because it was stressing me so much. It’s good to see them team when they have good moments, but when it’s a little bit more difficult, it’s sometimes a little bit difficult to watch.

“The goal now is to be back with the team for pre-season and I’ll do my best to do this.”

That recovery continues during the close season when the majority of his team-mates will have a few weeks rest and recuperation before returning for pre-season.

Jullien is looking forward to that moment too, and will be working hard under the guidance of the Celtic medical and fitness staff to continue his progress back to full fitness.

“Week after week you can see the improvement and my goal right now is just to get my strength back,” he said. “I’m just really happy to be back at Celtic and we’ll put a calendar on everything and just focus every week on what we’re going to do to get to the best point when I can come back with the team.

“I can’t wait to have that. It’s going to be strange because it’s been a long time. When you go from being with your team-mates every day and then you don’t see them for three-and-a-half months, it’s just so strange, so I can’t wait to see my guys and be there on the field with them and share some moments.






That’s just the best thing, when you’re with good team-mates like this, so I just can’t wait to see them and enjoy the days we have in front of us.”

And like everyone else at Celtic, Chris Jullien is also looking forward to running out at Paradise again in front of supporters, something he believes is an integral part of the club’s strength.

“I don’t want to get too excited until I see it,” he said. “It was a difficult season. We fought and did our best but we know that the fans give us so much strength and ability. They make our opponents fear when they come into our stadium and even in their stadium, so it’s something that we missed this season and I just hope to see them next season because we definitely need them for everything that we can achieve.”

 

Has to be made captain, only proper leader in the squad

 

We're in deeper * than i first feared then.

 

Why do you think that?

 

Because he's got everything to be a captain, good age with experience, reliable performer domestically and in Europe, stature, passion, scores in big moments (Sevco in cup, Lazio, Lille), commands players around him well

Just has many great leadership qualities, no one comes close to him in the squad for captain material imo

Plus, it's about time we had our first official foreign club captain

 

Hopefully back fit asap

 

I agree with a lot of that but I don’t think he commands players well, he’s not an organiser on the pitch. Likeable and a big game player but not a talker to those around him. Been a massive loss for us this season, but not a captain for me.

The captain will be McGregor if we can get him to stay, think if he’s not he’ll be guaranteed to leave. Not the best reaaon to give somebody the armband, but you shouldn’t need that to be a leader on the pitch anyway.

 

Are you having an angry demonic * typing that....Captain?

Dribbling slavering nonsense. He is the biggest * shitebag of a man I have ever seen.....let's see if he can defend first.

 

McGregor or Julien ...both have the leadership qualities of a kitten

Let them both play and find their game and find a true captain.

 

Dont want him as captain but he can quite clearly defend

 

McGregor’s leadership qualities are severely underlooked for me. I can understand it because he’s not a shouter or cajoler, but when you watch him playing he’s constantly talking and guiding those around him.

This season is a poor example of it, especially because you notice it more being in the stadium watching him and he has been nowhere near his best.

He’s more a Gary Neville than a Roy Keane though, it depends what you’d rather in a captain. I think football’s changing more to the former type thougg.

 

I love the lad mate, think he's the best Scottish midfielder by a mile...I just want him to find his game and be happy again.

I think he struggled with the weight of carrying so many imposters this year, hence the weak red card against the huns. I agree he is a leader, but let him lead quietly and efficiently.

I still want a hairy arsed, galus skip like Broony to take the weight.

 

When he is on his game yes he can, when he is rolling about like a big apple sponge after the softest of challenges...he can go * himself.

 

Can’t argue that point either mate, think a big part of me wanting him to be captain is I think if we snub him for it, he’s off.

And I really don’t want that.

 

Off subject but I had a full scale argument that what happened for his injury would be * agony and dangerous and it doesn’t prove he’s soft

Nearly ended up a proper fight wae good pals

 

Had the odd bad game against some random lump in the league but apart from that hes the best cb in the league imo. Maybe we should sign some no nonsense cb to deal with the big lumps to help him out (like duffy)

 

Its a true saying yer mates will tell you when you're wrong

The injury one was a sore one, but when I played at a very very very low level the last thing I wanted to show someone was that they had hurt me.....i struggle with that, and prefer a Broony that trains topless and jumps up laughing when * try to nail him..Aberdeen springs to mind

 

I didn't say he was a bad CB, I rate the boy..i don't see him as the skip though.

Bringing Duffy into the equation is just irrelevant pish as he also has very little captain qualities with his little girl social media malarkey. Being big and tough doesn't make you a leader.

 

Nobody hurt him though, he * his knee into the post

 

Aye I get that but he full scale smashed into the post on the knee that was supporting his weight man, it looked * agony.

Dykes or that big * from Hamilton swinging him I’d agree but the injury wasn’t him being soft, looked * agony man!