Belgium boss backs Boyata to be at his best for Bhoys

ROBERTO MARTINEZ has backed Dedryck Boyata to continue excelling for Celtic until at least the end of the season. The Belgian international provoked fury among fans when he apparently downed tools after the club refused to sell him to Fulham. Having since made a successful return to the team following the closure of the transfer window, the player and supporters seem to have made their peace. Seemingly now set to run his contract down and move for free next summer, there are obvious concerns he may again make himself unavailable later in the season as he eyes his next move. But Martinez feels Boyata has shown enough in the past fortnight to allay such fears. ‘Now the window is closed, Dedryck can focus and all he wants is to perform well for Celtic,’ said the Belgium boss. ‘What happened is more a symptom of the modern game than something to do with Celtic and Dedryck. There is no question he will give his all. ‘He knows his responsibility in the team and he respects Celtic immensely. ‘When there is a window, the player and the club are allowed to assess the options. ‘Clubs are looking to balance books or invest for the future and that can mean buying or selling players at the right time. ‘That’s normal — but now you have a Dedryck Boyata that is hungrier than ever and in the best moments of his career. ‘The Rangers game showed him back to his best.’ Asked if he felt there was a chance Boyata (left) could yet extend his stay at Celtic, Martinez replied: ‘You never know in football. Sometimes careers are fragile — you are one injury away from changing the direction of your career and that’s always part of the footballer’s mind. ‘What you do get when Dedryck plays is that his full focus is on winning games for Celtic. He’s very mature in that respect. It won’t change, no matter his contract situation.’