Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
PARADISE IS MY NIRVANA Recalled Bitton says one game for Hoops is worth ten at a lesser club
NIR BITTON is relishing his Celtic reprieve and describes one game with the champions as worth 10 anywhere else.
The Israeli international is suddenly back in the Parkhead spotlight operating as a central defender to answer an SOS from boss Brendan Rodgers in the 4-1 opening day win over Hearts on Saturday.
With Erik Sviatchenko and Dedryck Boyata injured, Bitton has slotted into a defensive role.
And the knocks sustained by the Dane and the Belgian could prove a turning point in the future of their team-mate.
For long spells of last term, Bitton cut a frustrated figure on the sidelines.
Ousted from the team by Stuart Armstrong before the turn of the year, he was unable to regain a regular spot and was reduced to bit-part roles in the run-in to the Invincibles Treble.
The signings of Kouassi Eboue and Olivier Ntcham for Bitton’s preferred midfield holding role alongside skipper Scott Brown have pushed him further down the engineroom pecking order. Bitton wants to play and other teams are keen to sign him and give him that chance. Rodgers himself even said during last term that he could understand the player’s frustration at his lack of action.
Yet there has been no sulking. No whinging. No complaining or hammering at the door of the manager
(right).
Bitton has put the head down and waited for his break. Now it’s come, even if in an unfamiliar position.
And his attitude is to be commended, just like his ability to slot into a crucial area in the team’s hour of need.
He wasn’t overworked but even had ability to step out from the back and play a killer pass for the key opening goal for Leigh Griffiths.
Of course, Sviatchenko and Boyata will be back at some point and Bitton may again return to fringe mode but he appreciates being at Celtic and insists he’ll never go banging and screaming for a move from such a prestigious club.
He said: “Of course everyone wants to play but this is one of the biggest clubs in Europe. When you get a chance to play for a club like this, you do your very best to stay here.
“You don’t leave this club for every offer that comes along. It’s not the same when you don’t play but I will always do my best to help this club.
“Every season is important to your career and when you play for Celtic it’s one of the biggest stages in Europe.
“Every game I play here is the same as 10 games for another club. So as long as I am here, I will do my best to stay in the team. I don’t think about offers. There are people who work behind the scenes on that but I don’t think about it. I’m really happy in Glasgow and at Celtic.”