RICH LEGACY OF A BARGAIN BUY
Commons happy that he gave Celtic strong return for £300k fee
ABARGAIN signing by Celtic, Kris Commons departs six incident-packed years later having provided a truly priceless contribution at Parkhead.
Five league titles, two Scottish Cup wins, one League Cup and many special European nights in Glasgow’s east end are among the precious haul of memories and medals he takes with him.
To a club that spent just £300,000 to land him from Derby County in January 2011, it represents a terrific return on a modest investment.
Of the 91 goals scored by Commons in 223 games for Celtic, though, none were more lucrative for his employers than his strike against Kazakh side Shakhter Karagandy in August 2013.
His sublime long-range effort on the stroke of half-time was the start of a Celtic fightback from a 2-0 first-leg deficit to a 3-2 victory and a £15million windfall from reaching the group stage of the Champions League.
As the 33-year-old said an emotional goodbye during Sunday’s charity Legends match, he was in no doubt how he wants to be remembered by Celtic fans.
‘As the boy who did okay for £300k,’ grinned Commons. ‘The fee (was so little) it fell out of (chief executive) Peter Lawwell’s back pocket!
‘But there have been so many highs during my time here. My debut against Aberdeen, my first goal for Celtic, my Old Firm debut, beating Barcelona, reaching the Champions League last 16.
‘But I loved the Shakhter Karagandy game. I scored and I’d never felt so much drive to get the ball out of the net and restart the game.
‘I wouldn’t say I felt invincible, but it was a case of: “Let’s go”. That win, and the way we did it, was just astonishing.
‘It’s been six years of pure emotion. I’ve ticked all the boxes — apart from winning the Treble with the boys this season. But it doesn’t rankle with me that I wasn’t part of it this season because I enjoyed it as a fan. I got to drink!
‘My three kids are all dressed in Celtic stuff 24 hours a day now, so I will always have an attachment to this club.
‘Being at Celtic has been the biggest part of my professional life and it has been emotional, saying goodbye. If you leave this place and don’t get tearful, you need a slap around the ear!’
Back in 2011, Rangers were also in for Commons, but the 33-year-old claims there was no way he would have ended up at Ibrox, or even Old Trafford, once Celtic’s interest became concrete.
It was to prove unfortunate for Rangers with Commons revelling in the fixture. He still rates his dinked finish over Allan McGregor in a 3-0 win at Celtic Park in April 2012 as his finest goal against the Ibrox side.
‘There were always rumours about Rangers and they certainly made a call,’ nodded Commons.
‘But I always knew I was coming here.
‘I knew Neil Lennon from playing together at Nottingham Forest and I also knew (Forest defender) Kelvin Wilson would be coming up to Celtic after me.
‘Everything was geared up for me joining Celtic. If Man United had phoned me, I’d still have signed for Celtic.
‘And it’s been the best period of my career. I was naive before I came here. I thought I was a player. Then I saw the size of the club and realised what it meant. Celtic is above and beyond anything I’ve felt for any other club. It’s been a magical journey.’
But it’s been a journey over occasionally rocky terrain. In October 2015, he had to publicly apologise for venting his fury at then-boss Ronny Deila and assistant John Collins after being substituted during a 3-1 Europa League loss in Molde.
In 2011, amid rumours of a bustup with Lennon — denied by the former boss — prankster Commons turned up to training wearing a neck brace, a head bandage and a large plaster across his nose.
Despite falling nine short of reaching 100 goals for the club, Commons only looks back on his time at Celtic with fondness.
‘I don’t have regrets,’ he smiled. ‘Do I regret turning up for training late? Do I regret a few tantrums? I don’t know. In the grand scheme of things, my Celtic career has been a memorable journey. The memories will live with me until the day I die.
‘There have been more highs than lows and you probably don’t realise how high the highs are until you see them back.
‘Neil Lennon used to say to us: “These will be the best days of your lives”. Looking back, did we appreciate the highs and how good the team was?
‘There have been a number of unbelievable achievements and I can say to myself: “I had a good run at it”.
‘But not reaching 100 goals is not a regret. I scored 91, won titles, Doubles, played in the Champions League, the team won the Treble this year. That’s what it’s about.
‘There are always highs and lows in football. You can’t win every year, but the lows make the highs even better. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed six-and-a-half-years at this fantastic club.’
Commons now tips Celtic to reach new heights in Europe after Brendan Rodgers secured the fourth Treble in the club’s history with an Invincible first season at Parkhead.
‘Brendan has brought English Premier League knowledge to the Scottish Premiership,’ he added. ‘Some people talk a good game, but Brendan implements it on the training ground.
‘Off the pitch, he changed everything — sports science, the kitchen, the gym, the dressing room. He came here to flip this club upside down.
‘It’s probably come round a bit quick for him. He wouldn’t have expected to go unbeaten and win the Treble in his first 12 months.
‘But it has catapulted him to legendary status. He can now sit down with the board and say: “These are my targets and this is the next step — Europe”.
‘Brendan is a guy who genuinely knows what it takes to get to the next level.
‘If he still has the same pull he did when he first came through the door, he can say: “This is what I need”.
‘Ajax got to the Europa League final and we gave them a really good game a few years back.’
If you leave and don’t get tearful, you need a slap around the ear