Former Celtic player considering retirement at just 28

Celtic fans always like to keep an eye out on former players and how their careers turn out after departing Parkhead. Some find success, others don’t. And it looks like one is considering retirement at just 28 years of age, after failing to establish himself anywhere since leaving the Hoops in the summer of 2020.

Jozo Simunovic is someone who was very highly rated during a large part of his Celtic career. He was brought in from Dinamo Zagreb and he did play a decent amount of football for the Hoops.

Ultimately, he would struggle with injuries though. And when his contract ran out in the summer of 2020, Simunovic departed Parkhead. There were some fans who had wanted the club to keep the player but his career since leaving has not turned out well.

Simunovic would end up joining HNK Gorica in 2021 but only made a few appearances for the Croatian club. And now, it looks like he might be considering hanging up his boots at just 28 years of age.

Former Celtic player considering retirement at just 28

As reported by The Scottish Sun, Simunovic said:

"“Life is good. I have a one-year old baby now and I am very busy!“Come the summer I will decide whether to start playing football again or not. We will see how it goes.“Right now, I have a lot to be busy with. I’m at university and also doing my badges.“I am studying sports management. I have been doing that for the last two years and I enjoy it.“It’s going OK and I am combining that with my coaching qualifications.“If I don’t go back to playing, I will stay in football — it’s really all I think about.“That could be coaching, agency work or sports management.“Let’s see what happens.”"

It remains to be seen how things turn out for the defender but it is safe to say that things have not turned out as well as most people had expected early on in his career. It just feels like he has never fulfilled the potential that he had. But that is football though.

He will forever be remembered by the Celtic fans, especially for his tackle on Kenny Miller, which continues to circulate to this day on social media through video clips. According to stats from Transfermarkt, Simunovic made 126 appearances for the Hoops.

Let’s see what the future holds for Simunovic. But if he does end up retiring, then we can only wish him the best for the next phase of his life and career.