Nir Bitton’s time at Celtic was up and down to say the least. The Israeli midfielder had not been a regular starter for the Hoops for quite a while but he had remained an important part of the squad throughout, even under the management of Ange Postecoglou, as the former Australian national team boss relied on him as an option off the bench, who could solidify things at the back and help see out games.
Bitton did surprisingly bring the curtain down on his nearly decade-long career at Celtic at the end of last season though, and after some confusion about his next move, has ended up joining Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Bitton might have spent a long time at Celtic but he is still relatively young and should have plenty of football left in the tank. Thus, Maccabi Tel Aviv might be getting a brilliant player for the foreseeable future.
Bitton seemed very emotional about leaving Celtic, which is understandable as he spent almost a decade at the club, and he has paid an incredible tribute to the Glasgow giants, after moving to Maccabi Tel Aviv. As reported by the Daily Record, the Israeli international said on an Instagram post:
"“After 9 successful years at Celtic, the biggest club in Scotland and one of the biggest in the British Island and Europe, I’m coming back home – to the biggest club in Israel. When I went abroad, I know that I was going to realise my dream and play in a huge club, in a packed stadium, in front of an audience that was creating a crazy atmosphere, with the goal of winning as many titles as possible and reaching as many European factories as possible.“Reality managed to exceed all expectations and I achieved quite a few goals and dreams.”"
Bitton pays incredible tribute to Celtic after joining Maccabi Tel Aviv
Bitton’s time at Celtic might have been filled with ups and downs, but nobody can doubt the fact that he always gave his best when on the pitch.
At the end of the day, it is not hard to see why he might have been keen on a move away though. Firstly, he had achieved everything that there was to achieve at Parkhead. And secondly, at 30, he might not have been keen on spending the last few years of his prime playing the role of an option to bring off the bench.
We can only wish Nir the best of luck and thank him for his years of service to Celtic.