Riley riles Postecoglou

Manager refuses to sell Celtic as Australian heads for Boro

ANGE POSTECOGLOU says he will only sign players that are desperate to play for Celtic as he explained the collapse of a move for Australia internationalist Riley McGree.

Postecoglou held talks with the midfielder after the club had agreed a fee with MLS side Charlotte FC to bring him to Scotland, but McGree now looks set to join English Championship side Middlesbrough instead.

The Celtic manager says though that he won’t spend time selling his club to players, and that anyone who cannot see what Celtic can offer them isn’t worth talking to in the first place.

“He’s a player I know well and it came across my path that he may be available,” explained Postecoglou.

“I had a discussion with him and then he obviously decided he wanted to take an opportunity elsewhere, which is fine. It wasn’t really anything too drastic for us.

“It was just a discussion with a player I know well and for me it was an interesting proposition. But it didn’t work out, which is fine. He moves on and we move on.

“It’s an indication for me that this isn’t the right place for him. It works both ways. I only want players who want to be here.

“I won’t try and convince any player to come and sign for this football club. I won’t. If they can’t see the opportunities that exist here then that’s part of the deal for me. The ones we have signed all wanted to come here.

“It’s an easy decision. Everyone has their own free will to decide what’s best for them. But I’m not going to sell this club to anyone on its attributes or virtues. If they can’t understand that in the first place then they’re probably not worth talking to from my perspective.

“With Riley McGree there weren’t a lot of discussions. There was a bit of interest but when it’s clear to m e that they don’t want to come to us it’s fine. We don’t progress it from there.”

Middlesbrough were reported to have offered McGree (left) a more lucrative contract than the one on offer from Celtic, but Postecoglou isn’t aware if that was a deciding factor, and added that it was a two-way

decision not to proceed with a move to Glasgow.

“I don’t know mate,” Postecoglou (inset) said.

“To be honest, I don’t care. I don’t dig that deeply in to it. The first transfer I did 25 years ago taught me you don’t take these things personally.

“Ultimately they are not rejecting me, they are not rejecting the football club. Everyone has their own free will to make decisions.

“It’s the same for both parties. It’s not just one party who decided not to go ahead. We decided not to go ahead as well.

Because for me what’s most important is they want to come here. “It’s no big issue for me. There are plenty of footballers who would love to come to this football club.

“They are the ones I’m looking for.”