Heartache of tragedy fuelling Ciftci’s love for his nation
APERSONAL tribute in the wake of a national, and global, tragedy, Nadir Ciftci wearing a black armband for Celtic’s first pre-season game of the season might have gone unnoticed by some.
For the Turkish striker with ambitions to represent the country of his birth, however, there was never any debate. He felt more than just obligated to show his respect for the 44 people who died in a suicide bomb and gun attack at Istanbul’s main airport earlier this week. He felt compelled to mark the tragedy.
‘It is a sad time back in Turkey,’ said the striker, who spent the second half of last season on loan to Eskisehirspor. ‘It (the armband) was just to remember the people.
‘I’ve still got family in Turkey. My mum and dad are both in Holland (where he grew up) but everybody else is back in Turkey. I haven’t spoken to anyone yet but I know they are all OK, which is obviously a relief.
‘Of course, it was horrendous. Not just because I’m Turkish. Wherever you are from in the world, it’s awful to see innocent people dying. This is a situation not just for myself and my family but for everyone.’
Ciftci, who was persuaded to swap footballing nationalities from the Netherlands, where he grew up, to the country where he was born — the nation of not just his parents but his entire family — would only be human if he decided to quietly slip away from the international scene for a while.
He is yet to win a senior cap, but the former Dundee United striker has been encouraged by talks with Turkey boss Fatih Terim. And, no matter how scary travelling to and from his homeland becomes, he just can’t see himself ever turning his back on the flag.
‘It would never stop me,’ he said of the security concerns. ‘For myself? No. I love my country and always want to play for the team. Of course, we have to keep going.
‘Hopefully, I can make the senior team. When I was back home last season, he (Terim) was talking to me a lot and giving me a lot of hope. It is all about getting games and, if I can do that, then I can get back into the international scene.’
As the man himself points out, getting game time for Celtic would be more than just a welcome change of circumstances for Ciftci, arguably the most feted of the ‘Tannadice Three’ — Stuart Armstrong and Gary Mackay-Steven making up the trio — when he arrived half a season after his United team-mates last summer. Right from the outset, the former Porstmouth forward struggled to make an impact.
Missing the start of the domestic season because of a hefty ban for biting an opponent in the Dundee derby just before leaving Tayside, he never quite looked at ease within Ronny Deila’s system.
Few Celtic fans complained when he was sent out on loan midway through the campaign.
Brendan Rodgers has been guarded in his assessment of the 24-year-old to date, making a point of highlighting areas where he must improve.
Particularly his mobility, which is often a football code for so many things, before he can be considered even a potential starter.
With Leigh Griffiths’ all-action style a perfect fit for the new manager and Moussa Dembele’s arrival as Rodgers’ first signing clearly likely to influence who plays where and when, Ciftci may struggle to break through.
However, he is hardly without hope after scoring — and playing well — in Thursday night’s 2-2 comeback draw with NK Celje in Slovenia.
‘I just need to work hard and do what the manager has asked,’ said Ciftci.
‘I’ve come back feeling really fit — and hopefully that means I can do what the new manager wants from me. Because he’s a big manager, we all know about him, we all know what he wants.
‘I think he’s going to be very successful at Celtic — and I want to play a big part in that.
‘He has spoken to everyone, not just me. He speaks to players all the time, he’s very positive and he likes to keep everybody feeling as if they are part of the team. That’s very positive.
‘I won’t tell you exactly what he has said to me. I will keep that private, please! But he’s talked to me about the team, about his plans for how we should play, what he wants to see from his front players.
‘I think he has given everybody hope.’
Watching his big move turn sour within months of arrival, it’s obvious that Ciftci suffered a real dunt to his confidence by that first difficult spell at Celtic.
The dual internationalist — he has Holland Under-17 and Turkey Under-19 caps — admitted: ‘Of course it (his confidence) was affected.
‘It’s not like I had big ideas in my head of everything I was going to do at Celtic. I didn’t arrive here last season thinking it was going to be easy. It was frustrating and a bit difficult.
‘I had the suspension and I was in and out — but that is in the past and I don’t want to look back. I want to look to the future. I am back.
‘I am going to do all I can to be successful here and to do what the manager asks.’