Player makes superb Celtic claim despite messy Parkhead exit

Celtic have said goodbye to plenty of players in recent times. That is always the case at a club of this size though. Not everybody can make the grade at Parkhead and in that scenario, it makes sense for all parties to part ways. The Hoops got their recruitment mostly right when Ange Postecoglou was the manager but even then, not every move worked out.

One interesting name in that regard is Sead Haksabanovic. He arrived in the summer of 2022 and showed early promise at Parkhead.

In fact, he played his best football for the club right before the 2022 World Cup and it looked like Celtic had pulled off another transfer masterstroke. Unfortunately, the month-long break ended up derailing his momentum.

Haksabanovic did not regain his place in the team in the second half of the campaign. Postecoglou would leave next summer for Tottenham Hotspur and Brendan Rodgers arrived as his replacement. And by that point, the 25-year-old had become a forgotten man at Parkhead.

Player makes superb Celtic claim despite messy Parkhead exit

Haksabanovic spent a loan spell at Stoke City last season. Just like at Celtic, he showed early promise before fading away. This summer, he completed a permanent move to Malmo.

Malmo are set to take on the Rangers in the Europa League this week. And Haksabanovic has taken the opportunity to remind everyone of his Celtic past. As reported by Football Scotland, he said:

"The derbies were unbelievable. It surprised me in a good way. The atmosphere was crazy and when you play for Celtic you get to know more about the derby because when you look from the outside, you know a little bit. But when you play for Celtic you get to know it more and understand it more.

"Even tomorrow, it's going to be a special game for me because I played for Celtic and I'm all for Celtic. Of course, I want to win tomorrow and it's also special because I played for Celtic and I want my team to win and start the Europa League in a good way. I should have scored in the [2023] League Cup final... it was good that we won!"

It would be safe to say that Haksabanovic was not the most popular figure by the time he left Celtic. Some of his social media activity in the past had not gone down well with the supporters. But rest assured that Hoops fans will be absolutely delighted if his side hand a blow to the Rangers in the Europa League on matchday 1.