WHY BITTON WAS READY TO ASK FOR A JANUARY MOVE
I had been planning a move away in January, says Bitton, but now I want Celtic success
SEVEN months ago, Nir Bitton’s life at Celtic under Ronny Deila involved little other than frustration and dejection. The 23-year-old was well out of the first-team picture and, he now admits, contemplating how he was going to ask to leave the club in the January transfer window.
However, he has displayed impeccable timing on and off the park at different points this season to instead become an integral part of the side, forging a strong midfield partnership with Scott Brown as he grabbed his chance after Charlie Mulgrew picked up an injury.
‘When you play for a team like Celtic, there’s always competition for your place, especially in the midfield where we have four or five very good guys,’ said Bitton. ‘Every time the gaffer gives me the chance to play, I’ll do the best I can to show him I deserve to play.
‘Of course, it hasn’t always been like this for me this season. When I wasn’t playing, the first thing you do is blame the coach.
‘That’s what I thought in the beginning. I’m not playing? I don’t care. OK, I’ll move on in January, I’ll find another club.
‘When you don’t play, your energy goes down. You can train 10 times a day but it’s not the same as getting a game. In the beginning when I didn’t play, maybe for two or three months, I was thinking: “OK, what should I do now to go forward? Maybe move for another challenge”.
‘I’m a Celtic player but you need to think about yourself when you don’t play.
‘So you think: “Where can I go now where I’ll play and get game time?”. But the easiest thing is to go to the gaffer, ask why, listen, and then try to improve.
‘When I spoke to him, when we had a conversation, I learned a lot from him. I suddenly understood what he wanted from me, what he expected of me.
‘I asked for the conversation because, as I said, I was blaming him. It’s the easiest thing to do.
‘So the best thing is to speak to him and find out what he wants because sometimes it’s so easy to fix these things. I’m happy I did it. It was my decision. He explained to me well why I wasn’t playing.
‘It’s something you need to understand, that the gaffer only does what’s best for the team.
‘So when you don’t play, you have to ask yourself what you’re not doing well enough. Why are you not playing? After that conversation, I got it.’
Deila had issues with several players earlier in the season, mainly down to their fitness, weight, diet and professionalism off the park.
At 6ft 4in, Bitton is lean and solid and the Norwegian coach had no problems with this particular player on any of the above.
But he did have doubts about his ability to produce the level of performance he felt was required to take the team forward and dominate domestically.
Bitton took the advice on board and the constant dialogue in recent months between the pair has helped develop the Israeli into one of the team’s most consistent performers. Signed in August 2013 for £700,000 from FC Ashdod and under contract until June, 2017, Bitton is now showing the talent that had Roberto Mancini wanting to sign him for Manchester City three years ago only for the deal to fall through at the last minute.
Bitton now hopes to keep his place in the team as the season enters its business end and said: ‘The manager has helped improve my game and I’m happy that I’ve kept my place in the team.
‘He always told me I can see what you have in your legs, I know who you are but I need to see something else. Like the tempo in the game, the intensity, and these things I tried to change — not for him, for me, because it was to make me a better player.
‘You need to try to work for the team, to show him that you want to change and that’s what I did.
‘When you don’t play and then you hear what he has to say, you have extra motivation to show him that you deserve to play. I went home, I told myself: “OK, this is a new season right now and I’m going to show him”.
‘I suppose you could say I’m the same guy but a better footballer. I’m a different player because I’m trying to do things I didn’t do before. But, when you play, you have confidence and can do things.
‘Sometimes when you’re not playing these things seem hard but, when you’re confidence is up, they’re so easy.
‘These things make you a better player but I’m just enjoying the moment. The team are playing so well and we just want to win the Treble.’