Sead Haksabanovic

I hope what he says is true, because it means Rodgers means business with the board. The board probably only believed in him because he was cheap.

 

He was a guy that I was always excited to see when coming off the bench. For some reason he couldn't replicate it when he was starting games though.

 

Sead Haksabanovic insists he doesn't regret the social media outburst that effectively cost him his Celtic career.

The winger was a popular figure at Parkhead after helping Ange Postecgolou's side to a famous Treble in his debut campaign. But Haksabanovic found himself farmed out on loan to Stoke City just months later after failing to see eye-to-eye with Brendan Rodgers. The frustrated frontman's days were numbered when he dropped a bombshell on Instagram by claiming he wasn't valued at Celtic Park, less than 24 hours after coming off the bench in a goalless draw against St Johnstone.


With just days of the summer window left, the Montenegro international secured an escape route to the bet365 Stadium. However, the 25-year-old would never pull on the hoops again after joining Malmo permanently during the summer. It was a bitter ending to Haksabanovic's time in Glasgow and while a section of fans felt let down by his online conduct, the ex-Rubin Kazan star has now aired his side of the story.



In an exclusive interview with Football Scotland before last week's Europa League defeat to Rangers, Haksabanovic reflected: "I wouldn't say that I regret it [the Instagram post]. It was nothing to the fans or anything like that. I don't want to go into details and stuff, it's between me and them, but I felt I was not treated as the others were and I need to look for myself and make sure that I'm good because I understand why the fans were mad at me.

"They always want the best for the club and as long as I was a Celtic player I did that as well. But I need to protect myself as well because of things that someone can do against me and if I don't like it, feel appreciated or respect it... it didn't need to go so far that I needed to post it, but it went so far so I had to do something for myself."

Rodgers admitted at the time that he was "surprised" by Haksabanovic's remarks.


We spoke about it after a training session", Haksabanovic continued. "It was a good talk, we shook hands and everything. After that, I felt that they didn't want me there. They had different options on the table but they kept saying no to everything, I don't know why. They didn't want me there. In the end, I had to do something.


Haksabanovic returned from an underwhelming loan stint at the Potters in the summer realising that the writing was more or less on the wall.

He said: "The first thing I said to Brendan [last year] was, 'If you give me a valid chance to give me a place in the team, I will do everything you say and work hard. If you tell me to run 10 laps around the pitch, it doesn't matter I will do it if you give me a fair chance.' But in the summer, I didn't speak with them so much because I knew a little bit how they felt and in the end, it was more like a decision from both me and them."


Malmo put their faith in the talented attacker by making Haksabanovic their most expensive signing of the summer. But the former West Ham man raised eyebrows among the green-and-white faithful by claiming in a subsequent interview that his departure was mostly down to Rodgers "because the board wanted me to stay."



Asked to clarify his comments, Haksabanovic explained: "The thing I can say is when Brendan came, he wanted other players to play in front of me. He said clearly, and I respect that, that I was not in his plans to play.

"So I would be out of the squad. But the board was like, 'No, we want you to stay here because we think you can take a place in the team.' So it was different stuff from both of them. Also, it didn't make sense why he subbed me on during two games where we were losing and needed points. He subbed me on when he already told me I wasn't in his plans. So the things he did and what he said didn't make sense to me.

"As I'm saying now, the board said no to everything they had on the table. And then in the end, I told them my head wasn't there anymore and the best thing for me was to go and play."


Although Haksabanovic's time in Scotland was cut short earlier than he planned, he holds no grudges and remains immensely proud having represented one of Europe's biggest clubs. Being part of an historic Treble-winning team and getting his first taste of Champions League football is something that will live with him forever.

He said: "Every time I look back when sometimes you have a bad day, you think about these days. Those were my first trophies at senior level. I'm very happy with that. It was special. Everybody in the team had a good relationship. Even if there were people from around the world, everybody was going well with everyone. We had something special in the dressing room as well, not only on the pitch."


So how does he sum up his time with Celtic? "My first season, I'm happy with that. Of course, I wanted to play more. I'm very proud that I can say I played for Celtic in my career



It's one of the biggest clubs in Europe. Everybody in the world knows who Celtic are. Everywhere I've gone in the world, it's like 'You've played for Celtic!' I'm proud that I can say that I've played for Celtic. I have some Celtic shirts at home and pictures that I'm very proud of."

Now playing for the most successful team in Sweden, Haksabanovic hopes to kickstart his career with Malmo and fulfil his true potential.

He added: "Right now, I feel the best I've ever felt in regards to mind. When I'm not injured, I'm hungrier than ever. In my mind, I've learned so much throughout the years. I'm the best place in my mind where I can be right now and I'm hungrier than ever. So score many goals, make lots of assists and hopefully win silverware."

 

Nothing against the guy, just wanted to play football for someone somewhere. Hopefully he can make something of his career at Malmo.

 

He had flashes of being brilliant, just something missing within him I think for consistency or to take it to the next level. He’ll go on to stay in the Swedish league or a level like that and do well continuously but can’t see him in a big league ever again

 

Lol the interview with Football Scotland. Its so obvious they phoned him in hope that he would trash talk Celtic. Which he did not to Football Scotlands dissapointment.

 

Thought we’d won a watch getting him on the cheap from Russia, but he was just never the right fit for us. Never really had a proper place in the team and when he did get a chance generally he didn’t really take it other than a few good moments.

 

Interesting that he sort of blames the board for refusing to let him leave, hinting him and Rodgers was fine with him moving on.



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