Nir Bitton

Gonny miss the big Ned.

 

I’m no crying, you’re crying

 

Brilliant.

 

Proper tears man

 

It is brilliant to see that this club means so much to the players.
You can see his heart will always be in paradise.

 

It really is mate. Just fills you with absolute pride.

 

No matter where he is Biton will always be a Celt!

 

Had his ups and downs over the years but don't remember him complaining. Great servant to the club and I hope he goes on to have successes elsewhere.

 

Delighted he got a good send off. A player who gave this all for the club and I wish him well. Hes a class act.

 

https://mobile.mako.co.il/news-sport/world_soccer-2022_q2/Article-505ab917998c081026.htm



Nine glorious years. A day after saying goodbye to the Celtic fans he has played for over the past nine years, Nir Bitton was interviewed tonight (Sunday) in an open field and shared his personal feelings, public opinion about him in Scotland and his personal ambitions for the future. An interview with the all-time decorated Israeli football player with 18 titles, the latter was celebrated yesterday with the championship Saturday

"I am only 30 years old, and feel like I have been there all my life," Bitton said. "Nine years of life and it was an amazing time. I can only thank you for this period, I will take it with me for life and it was great fun and pleasure. I agree it feels a bit like a retirement of a player, both me and Tom Rogić (both raised the championship trophy "Last night for the pitch) we signed at about the same time, we are both foreigners who have stayed at the club for about 9.5 years and they appreciate it. If we did not have significant shares we would not have held there for a long time"

The 30-year-old Israeli shared the feelings he felt at Celtic: "It's a huge club, no matter what you did last year - the current one is the most important. I had an amazing time and experienced a lot. Degrees, family, children. I do not go into external evaluation, the only interesting evaluation is "From the professional team I worked with. There is an audience and outside media that can say what they want



I do not think about whether I got enough paragon or not, it also does not interest me," Bitton said. "It's true that public opinion is interesting, but it has a lot of unprofessional factors. I have been most interested throughout my career in what the coaches think of me and what the club thinks of me. The fact that I signed three contracts there shows how much they trust me."

"The thing that hurt me was that I did not come from a big club with exposure and I did not have the back of the audience that will remember me over the years," Bitton commented on his assessment in the country. "If I had played for Maccabi Tel Aviv or Maccabi Haifa, I can assure you that I would not have come here, I would not have had minutes of play and patience, so I appreciate MS Ashdod very much."

Regarding the future, Bitton said: "Right now I'm a free agent, it's time to have fun with family and kids, work on the body and break away from football a bit. We'll see what happens in the summer. When I arrived in Scotland the desire was to put a stake "In the top leagues in Europe, there are all sorts of factors along the way that caused such a transition not to take place, but I'm not sorry for a moment, I had one of the experiences I had as a child




I have no sense of missing out," Bitton said when asked about not moving to senior leagues any further. "Nine years in one of the biggest clubs in British football, if Celtic in the Premier League is a team in the top 4 in terms of its size. I was in a huge club, I think people in the country who talk about the Scottish league are a bit underrated, it is not weak, I do not know which league Israel is ranked in." When Biton was mentioned that Avi Luzon had previously said that the Israeli league is the 6th in nature, the Israeli replied: "That's why Maccabi Petah Tikva is in the second league."

"I do not feel full, I think my hunger only grows with time," Bitton said of his future. "I want to play in a club that takes championships and fights for titles of course, I have a lot more to contribute. The desire right now is to continue my European career overseas but I do not rule anything out, we will take the summer and make a decision together. I was always taught to listen to offers and not say no I'm not a free agent and I do not know how it feels, we will see what the plans are with the woman and children and we will make the best decision for all of us.

"It suits me very well to be away from the media. Recognition of the country is something I really miss and one of the things I miss is that I did not leave a big place in the country where I experienced a fight for titles, championships, it is one of the things that makes me want to prove and show. I have another long summer." . On Alon Hazan's new appointment as national team coach, he said: "Alon and I have a very good relationship, I think he deserves it. We have a great opportunity and we are a house of three teams after Russia was suspended, this is a good opportunity. "In a country with a team that has not been to a big place for a long time, you have to trust the coach and give it a time of 6-8 years."

 

after nine years of service, Nir Bitton took his final bow as a Celtic player in the most ideal of circumstances.

Entering the stage and taking the captain's armband for the closing minutes of Saturday’s emphatic 6-0 win over Motherwell, Bitton started the encore by bringing the trophy on to the pitch alongside fellow departee Tom Rogic.

The midfielder was crafted into a winner, lifting 18 major honours during his near-decade involved in the club’s period of domestic dominance.

But to stay put for that length of time at a club, there has to be more to life than just the titles



Arriving as a 21-year-old, Bitton leaves as a 30-year-old with two Scottish-born children and another on the way, and as he reflects on his time in Glasgow it’s more than just the football he will miss.

Speaking exclusively to Celtic TV in his final interview, he said: “I never thought this day would come but now it’s come it’s a really sad day for me.

“This is all I know, this club, I’ve been here for nine years as a foreigner, I came here as a young boy.

“If you told me when I signed here that I would stay for nine years and win 18 trophies and make more than 270 appearances I would have bit your hand.

“It’s just a great achievement for me and my family and I’m just glad I had the opportunity to play for this amazing club, be part of this decade of the club and I’m very sad to leave.

“This club gave me a lot, it transformed me into the person and player I am today.

“I’m just glad I had the opportunity to play for this club and have these memories, win as many trophies as I won and make memories for life that will stay with me forever.”




With so many high moments from his career at Celtic, pinpointing particular highlights to reflect on would require its own book to fill all of the memories.

Despite some outstanding strikes and historic games, more than anything, when Bitton looks back on the points that stick out in his mind it goes to the team moments.

Fresh in the memory are this season’s achievements and the Israeli internationalist is proud to have gone out on a high.

“It’s all about the success of the team,” he said. “Every time I stepped on to the pitch I tried to give my best for everyone that trusted me to do it and for my team-mates.

“For me, the only thing that mattered was the success of this club to win as many trophies as I could.

“I had an amazing nine years which have come to an end now, it’s better to leave on a high with an amazing manager.

“No-one gave us a chance at the beginning of the season and we showed that we are built differently and I’m happy to be part of it.

“I was very fortunate to play for this club as long as I did, I never take it for granted. I always tried to give my best for the people and the club and I hope I did it.”

 

Right in the feels.

 

Don’t know what they said but it sounded good



Oren Josipovic hosts Nir Bitton for a talk on Old Firm, the most decorated legionnaire, how exciting it is to take a sixth and eighth championship, football culture in Scotland and Israel, his next destination, brake or contact or both, connection to Glasgow, work and work and work, beatings with Israel and the future With the Israeli team, the "stain" with Elisha, Maccabi Tel Aviv in basketball - the great jersey game, Van * item and friends, and more and more…

In the studio: Oren Yossifovich, Motla Rafeld, Nir Bitton




https://www.hapodium.com/podcast/ניר-ביטון-על-ארון-תארים-מפוצץ-ילדים-עם/

 

https://m.ynet.co.il/articles/hjzqe0gw9


Nir Bitton's story can be an inspiration to any child who enrolls in a football club and dreams of coming to Europe one day - even if he was not born a network-breaking scorer or dribbler. Less than a week after playing against Bnei Yehuda and parting ways with the Eleventh Stadium, the midfielder who grew up in Ashdod has already worn the Celtic uniform and was preparing for his debut against AC Milan in the Champions League. All 18 titles, and will be honored to wear the captain's ribbon at a club considered an empire on the British Isles.
But somehow, this miraculous journey has gone under the radar in Israel - and there is a feeling that Bitton has not received the appreciation he deserves. How many blue-and-white legionnaires finish a glorious nine-year episode in a farewell ceremony for 60,000 people in Celtic Park? It happened in the final game of the season against Motherwell, when in the 6th minute, like his number, the whole crowd stood up to cheer and thank him - a gesture that only the biggest symbols in green and white received. Five minutes to the end, the Israeli entered his final minutes of glory, to the applause of the fans, ahead of the next chapter in his career.





"Prepare me all week for this ceremony and post videos on social media," the contact shares about the emotional days he went through before leaving. "When I sat on the bench and heard 'You will never walk alone' and I realized that this is my last time here, the tears came down non-stop. It is an experience I will take with me for a lifetime



Love that everything is against me, it drives me crazy"
Bitton has already landed in Israel with his wife and children, and in the near future he will have to make a decision whether to return to the Premier League or continue to try his hand overseas. For the first time in his career, he is a free agent, so the choice regarding his future is in his hands, probably when it comes to the three big teams in Israeli football - Maccabi Tel Aviv, Maccabi Haifa and Beer-Sheva - that are courting him.


Try to sum up your experience in Glasgow. "It was a great experience. If you had told me when I signed with Celtic that I would stay nine years at this huge club that appears every season in European factories, I would say you are crazy. I went through a challenging period of ups and downs, degrees and injuries. I learned a lot about myself as a person and as a player."

What things did you learn? "I'm a person who never gives up. I like to be in a situation where everything is against me, it's something that pushes me and makes me more successful . In the beginning at Celtic I adapted less. There were people who did not want me there and it just gave me motivation. "The back that they pushed and lifted me, I dealt with it throughout my career. I'm one who likes to have doubts about his abilities and in him - it drives me crazy




Where are they and where are we?"
At the age of 19, long before leaving for Glasgow, you came to be impressed with Manchester City and only because of the lack of a work permit did you not sign there. And yet, even though you stood out professionally from a young age, the media pretty much ignored you. "I did not bother with the fact that the Israeli media did not cover me. I understand that the measure is not the ability or the achievement, those who are close to the plate get greater exposure. I got used to it, I am not one to look for publicity. When I went to City, there were commentators who said in the studios that they would not even sign me in a group in Israel, and I say to myself, 'Who is he who has never done anything in his life to come and say what I am capable of? ' "Shelly took it hard. For me, I disengaged from the media in Israel





Feeling underrated? "It's because of the lack of media exposure and also because I did not come from a big team. I am 21 years old in Scotland, hardly seen, except for the national team games, but I was in a very high place. The sports culture in the Scottish League is something that can not be compared to us. It's like religion for them. Even in the small clubs it's like that. In Scotland you will not see a championship game canceled due to security arrangements. I'm not talking arrogance, but it's just a hallucination for a team to come to the coronation game, And it is canceled because there are not enough security guards



Scottish League. "People in the country underestimate the Scottish league, but Rangers played last night in the Europa League final and on the way ousted Dortmund and Leipzig, after finishing second in the league four points away from us. Maybe it's not a league with Mbabane and Neymar, but it's probably better than ours, hard "It hurts me to hear people disparage over the years, it's detached from reality




someone who has experienced one of the hottest derby games in the world, what does it look like off the field? "It's a game that can't be explained in words, a week before the whole city is in a frenzy. There were seasons where Rangers were not a factor, but they came back big and took a championship last season by a huge margin."
As an Israeli player, how difficult is it to succeed in Europe? "The only difficulty is to arrive, when you are already here everything depends on you. It is clear that as an Israeli it is different than if you are Portuguese, Italian or French - the passport increases your market value and trust in you is greater. On the other hand, take for example Liel Abda "They signed him at Celtic for 3.5 or 4 million euros, and this boy does not see anyone from the rain, gives head




What status did you have in the locker room?
"When I was 23 a lot of the players who play with me today played in the boys of the club, they were about 14 years old. They remember me, some of them would bring balls in our games, names like Michael Johnston. I played with a lot of great players, I had the most amazing captain "In the world, Scott Brown." .



Celtic are one of the biggest clubs on the British Isles - a place from which you could have progressed to a more senior league. Why did it not happen? "Let me tell you something no one knows. When Brendan Rogers came to coach at Celtic, the club was in bad shape after we lost in the Cup semi-final to the Rangers, who then played in the second division. My former agent told me that Rogers does not like me and that the team is trying Get rid of me, and then came an offer from Espanyol. I'm a person with an ego, when they're not giving me the chance, I'll show everyone what I'm worth. "It's your time." I smiled at him, and then I got a message from my agent: "Say, are you serious, what did you do? Now they are not ready to sell you."
You have become a free agent, what is the next goal?
"I did not decide what I wanted, and whoever approached me knows. I always said I would return to Israeli football, want to end my career here, but at the moment I am at a crossroads. The initial desire is to stay abroad, but after we passed Glasgow that has no summer, it will only To a warm country. We miss the sun. "
"I grew up on Hazan as a child, he was my idol"
In the Premier League you will become a tie-breaker. Are you a magician?
"I'm sure I'll be a tiebreaker. I'm not looking at past cases of legionnaires returning to Israel. I don't care what the others did, confident in my abilities, and know what I can contribute. I did not come from a big club in the country, not everyone knows me here and that's something I want to change. This matter has been on my mind for a long time. "
In the last campaigns of the team you played as a brake, now Miguel Vitor joins you. "I played in Celtic a lot as a stopper, so it was easy for me to make the adjustments. If the coaches on the team think I should play as a stopper, that's what I'll do. The leading players in the league and there is no doubt that he will help the team




There is a warm connection between you and Alon Hazan. "The connection is from Ashdod, Hazan was a kind of mentor for me. I grew up on him as a child, he was my idol. We are not people who grew up on Maccabi Tel Aviv or Maccabi Haifa, our heroes were names like Hazan, Moshe Ohayon, David Revivo, Shai Holtzman and Idan Shrikki. I was happy for him that he got the role of national coach, he deserves it and I wish he would take us to a big tournament. "
Do you think the Israeli team has progressed in recent years? "The team has made progress, but not one that will necessarily be enough to advance to a big tournament. We are still behind in terms of conduct, culture, connection of the crowd to the team, support around and communication. It brings me back to the moment I boarded the flight to Israel: I get a push "Because of a security problem. That's what I mean, until these things change we will not get to the places we want




not understand what it is like to live in a foreign country"
Without Russia, with Iceland and Albania with Israel in the League of Nations, this seems like a possible task.
"Obviously there is a chance, probably due to the Russian suspension. This is an amazing opportunity to get to the playoffs."
How far involved were you politically involved?
"The situation in Israel is not pleasant for anyone, we live in a sad reality and as athletes we have the power to influence. Many people abroad do not understand where we come from, they have a certain agenda, and no matter what I upload to Instagram I will try to explain to them. Let's just say I received quite a few private messages that I preferred to ignore. "


At Celtic, we have often seen Palestinian flags hoisted in the stands.
"It's a small handful, most of the audience wrapped me in love. I'm not judging anyone, they do not know what we're going through. I can assure you that if they are shown the planet, they will not know where Israel is and where the Palestinian Authority is. I did not go into politics. To keep my family and children living in a foreign country. All the beauties who said 'why he does not express his opinion on social media' do not understand what it is like to live alone in a foreign country. My children went to school, I had a duty to keep them safe. Of course I'm sorry "On what is happening in Israel, I wish the events we are going through will pass from the world."



There was a tension recently in the team's locker room, and there was also a storm in the players ’WhatsApp group.
"It does not enter the locker room. We are all, Arabs and Jews, friends. It is clear to me that any person with a drop of conscience will condemn terrorist attacks - no matter if he is Jewish or Muslim. Contrary to popular belief, we do not let these things affect friendships and professional relationships."

 

Slightly underestimating us there I think, Nir......

I think, to be honest, the question is a difficult one for him to answer to an Israeli journalist.

 

https://sport1.maariv.co.il/israeli-soccer/ligat-haal/article/885895/

After finishing his glorious episode at Celtic , during which he became the all-time decorated Israeli footballer with no less than 18 titles, Nir Bitton - who is waiting for offers and is not ruled out of the Premier League, was hosted by Oren Yossifovich on the podium "Podium" and talked about everything in an open and fascinating interview.

When asked about the next goal, Bitton replied: "I do not know yet, I have not decided yet. There is a time, we are still a director. I have never been a free agent so I do not know how it works and runs. For me I want to continue in Europe, I have not yet exhausted Myself to the end. I never ruled out returning to Israel, it's all a matter of opportunities and timing. In season and fight and travel to remote places.





I love Israeli football and have always loved it. I spent 9 years at Celtic and I am a very accomplished person, and it does not matter if I play with my son or my daughter I always want to win. I have the ambition to win titles, and of course if I have the "The option of Maccabi Tel Aviv or any other big team in the country that is fighting for titles or a mid-table team in the championship that has no ambitions to advance in the league - so for me, I prefer to return to Israel."



On the great rivalry with Rangers : 'Rangers - Celtic is something I can not even explain in words. It's a hatred I've never encountered in terms of football and sports. In Old Firm week, if you win you can go naked in the city, if you lose you better stay home, cover yourself with all the blankets you can and disconnect from social media. Last year when I got the red at Old Firm, it was the hardest time of my life. I have never faced such a difficulty in my life. There were thousands of posts, I stopped counting, I stopped logging on to Instagram. I would find myself lying in bed crying. I said 'How did I get here? What did I do when I got here? "It's all red in a football game. 'It was not an easy time, when my wife wanted us to go shopping I would tell her' sorry, I'm not leaving the house






The story of Rogers and Espanyol : "When Brendan Rogers came to Celtic he probably saw games from last season and was not enthusiastic, and Celtic contacted my then agent Dudu Dahan and said to him: 'Brendan is not building on Nir. Do you have anything to do with that figure? ' I was just on vacation, and then he called me and said, 'I have good news and bad news.' I said, 'What's the good news?' Celtic want to sell you. ' - A man of ego but in the good direction. If I left Celtic it's only when I want to leave. When I leave for a place that wants me and pays me money and when I exhausted myself there. As soon as his uncle told me 'the club wants to sell you and shake you off' Red in the head, and I told my wife there was no theory I was leaving like that.

"I remember I got to pre-season and Brendan Regers is a huge coach. He coached Luis Suarez, Steven Gerrard, Coutinho etc and almost took a championship with them a year earlier. In the first week of training I had crazy training, and then he came to me After some training and saying to me, 'Big man, can you play football, huh?' And I'm smiling. I finished training and got messages from Uncle Dahan: 'What did you do stupid? What do you have?' Because at that time I had an offer from Espanyol with a lot of money, a big contract for 4 years. His uncle said to me 'Dumb, what did you do?' I asked him 'what is there?' "Then he told me that Rogers had vetoed and that I was not being sold to Spain."





Why he left Celtic: "It's over because both parties came to an end. I signed a new contract in 2019, I ended it now after 3 years. They had an option to continue the contract, they offered me a new contract not on the terms of the option. For me it's not a matter of money, just I came to a kind of extraction, I won everything there, I played in all the possible factories against the biggest players and I want to experience something different, whether it is abroad or in Israel. The week before the official announcement of departure was very difficult for me. I cried a lot. I would see videos and the tears would come out. This is a club where I spent my whole career, I went through everything there: victories, sad moments, injuries, titles… I saw my whole career pass before my eyes in a few moments. In the last game, which was also a coronation game I sat on the bench before the players came up there was an exciting atmosphere. And when the Celtic crowd sang you'll never walk alone with the scarves in the air I cried and I could not control it. I owe a lot to Celtic for the trust and everything they have given me in my career and life






On Liel's first year working at Celtic : "People do not understand what he did. It's crazy. It's a hallucination. To make a contribution of 26-27 goals in a first season at a club like Celtic when you're 19 in a rookie season is a crazy statistic. I enjoyed seeing him this year and enjoyed borrowing. Him. What he does there is just huge, I can not explain it in words. A 19-year-old boy who leaves his country and comes from Maccabi Petah Tikva - not Maccabi Haifa or Maccabi Tel Aviv, with a high price tag and expectations and he does not see anyone from the rain . He works hard, he does not get depressed when he is not going, always thinks how to get better and progress and he is always there to give the goal. This is something that cannot be explained. The players there also do not understand how he does it. "






On the exposure he received : "'I went 9 years Celtic and people in the country respond' Oh, where did he play? '. Now Celtic is a club that can not be compared to anything in the country. It is heaven and earth" /

The Scots are enthusiastic about Israel : 'I will be surprised and say that for the Scots, Israel is one of the best teams they have played against. They rattle off Manor in Scotland and they talked to me about him being a player at the highest level. I am constantly reminded of Desa and Twataha. "




Leshak with Ismaila Soro: 'He is more Israeli than Israeli! He walks into Celtic's training ground and calls out to me and Liel Abda, 'What's going on inside Couscous? What's up with a saxophone face? ' "Jordan Shua taught him that in Bnei Yehuda."

Playing with Van * : "Virgil is wow. I would always tell family and friends 'we have a brake in Celtic that will reach the highest levels.'




Contact or brake? "The team that will sign me will get what they want - a contact, a brake, even a goalkeeper if they want. Until this year, I played a lot of times as a brake in recent years. In the team I play brake because that's what I think I should play there. The link is a relatively busy position in the team, and the defense is less busy and think I can contribute there so that's what I do. "Contact, defender, wing, it does not matter to me. It has always been in the team's favor and less in my favourite






Ohad Maccabi Tel Aviv Basket : "I am a big fan. On Thursdays my wife knows not to bother me when there is a Euroleague. No children's showers and no meals. I also see the big games in the league against Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem. I can suddenly also see some Ness Ziona game when it's boring. In the derby on Wednesday, I was ruined tonight, I also had tickets to the game and "I gave up because of Lag B'Omer. Lucky I did not go. When I am in the country for sure, I will subscribe with the child and go to the hall every Thursday."

What happened to Elisha on the team : "I never talked about what happened to Elisha. What happened to him was a stain. There was a situation where he threw me out of training and I was fired from the staff - but that's just the end of the story and it's just the tip of the iceberg. How did I get rid of him '. There was a game against Italy at home. In the first half I did not have a big game, in the second half I did feel good and Italy got a red card and Elisha took me out in the 60th minute. No problem, everything is fine. On the way to the bench I was nervous and said how many Things, but I did not say anything about Elisha or his team. If I were to say that about them, believe me the cameras would not see it. By the end then I am very disappointed in myself, and that is also what was in this game




Summoning after me, we arrived at the Raj Stadium and as I arrived with the bags they told me 'Elisha wants you in the room'. I did not understand what the pressure was. I went into the room, and the first thing he said to me was 'in the last game against Italy, people called me after the game and it was very bad what you did on the bench, it did not look good'. I said to him 'Tell me, what are you talking about me, why are you calling me? What does it not look good? Who does it not look good to? ' A player came out of a game, upset about the game, upset about himself, my right to say what I want. I did not hurt anyone and I did not hurt anyone's dignity. I have never said anything about a coach in my life, I would never have hurt a coach's dignity in my life.

I may not be his tape recorder, he may not have connected with me, there is nothing wrong with that. Each coach and his choices. Then there was a gathering in the country and there was supposed to be a trip to Albania, and there was practice at the end of training. We were 17 players, not even 20. He decided that in this practice he makes 4 defensive players and another 3 link players who should open against Albania, against 8 attacking players. There are two left. 17 players, 15 in practice. He says the names and does not say me.

"At that time I played in the Champions League against Manchester City and Barcelona, playing every game and Celtic. Now, no problem, you do not train me in the squad? Everything is fine. No problem with that, but the minimum of 8 against them that attack them. He said I have to sit on the sidelines and he will call me in a few more minutes. I stand there and I say 'what's going on here?' That he hit me was how to get a response out of me.You can ask all the coaches who went through with me in my career - I did not commit a disciplinary offense and in life I did not hit anyone. At that moment it reached me to the top. I sat outside, and after about 7 minutes Lee and he said 'Bitton, come on' and the initial reaction I got was 'I'm cold, my groin hurts'.



It's not a reaction of breaking the tools and of wanting to go home. It was a reaction of let me relax, you can finish it more beautifully, there is no communication in training and nothing, give me my respect and respect me. Apparently he was looking and waiting for it. "I told him I was cold and ten minutes sitting outside and that my groin hurt and then they talked to each other for about half a minute and then he called me and I told him again that my groin hurts and then he threw me home

 

FORMER CELTIC player Nir Bitton has given an insight into the intensity of the Glasgow derby as he revealed that the aftermath of his red card against Rangers last year was the hardest time of his life.

The Israel international has brought the curtain down on a nine-year stint at Parkhead which brought him 18 trophies.

Asked in an interview in his homeland about the nature of the derby, Bitton recalled the match at Ibrox on 2 January, 2021, when he was sent off for hauling down Alfredo Morelos, paving the way for the hosts to win 1-0.

“Rangers-Celtic is something I can not even explain in words,” he told Israeli channel Sport 1. “It’s a hatred I’ve never encountered in terms of football and sports.
In Old Firm week, if you win you can go naked in the city, if you lose you better stay home, cover yourself with all the blankets you can and disconnect from social media.

“Last year when I got the red at Old Firm, it was the hardest time of my life. I have never faced such a difficulty in my life. There were thousands of posts, I stopped counting, I stopped logging on to Instagram. I would find myself lying in bed crying.
“I said ‘How did I get here?’ It was not an easy time, when my wife wanted us to go shopping I would tell her ‘sorry, I’m not leaving the house’.”

Bitton admits he cried at Parkhead on the day of his final game at home to Ross County.

“It’s over because both parties came to an end,” he said, explaining why he did not extend his stay in Glasgow.

“I signed a new contract in 2019, I ended it now after three years. They had an option to continue the contract, they offered me a new contract, not on the terms of the option.

For me, it’s not a matter of money, just I came to a kind of extraction. I won everything there, I played in all the possible stadiums against the biggest players and I want to experience something different, whether it is abroad or in Israel.

“The week before the official announcement of departure was very difficult for me. I cried a lot. I would see videos and the tears would come out. This is a club where I spent my whole career, I went through everything there: victories, sad moments, injuries, titles.

I saw my whole career pass before my eyes in a few moments. In the last game, which was also a coronation game, I sat on the bench before the players came up, there was an exciting atmosphere.

“And when the Celtic crowd sang You’ll Never Walk Alone with the scarves in the air I cried and I could not control it. I owe a lot to Celtic for the trust and everything they have given me in my career and life.”

Legend. Great servant, always backed up his team mates. Good luck big man!