The Players Sold by Celtic in Recent Years They're Really Missing

The Players Sold by Celtic in Recent Years They're Really Missing


"Celtic Park" (CC BY-ND 2.0) by rbrough

Celtic have not been able to keep hold of their best players in recent years and now, after nine consecutive Scottish Premiership title wins, it is finally catching up with them.

As the most brilliant Bhoys have all left Parkhead during this period, what is left behind simply hasn't been enough to maintain their dominance of Scottish football. When you stop and think about it for a moment, Celtic are missing their former players in every area of the pitch.

Starting at the back, goalkeeper Fraser Forster returned to Glasgow for a loan spell with the Hoops last season. He kept 14 clean sheets in 28 Scottish Premiership games adding a fourth league title to his CV.

Forster was one of many who left the Bhoys for Southampton, alongside the likes of Kenya international Victor Wanyama, fellow midfielder Staurt Armstrong and the mighty Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk, who went on to achieve Champions League glory in 2019 with Liverpool.

Celtic aren't the only ones missing the latter either. Van Dijk has been a huge loss to at Anfield, whose defence of the English Premier League title has failed in large part due to injuries at centre back.

The latest outright football betting with bet365 on either side of the border has both the Hoops and Reds well and truly up against it to retain their crowns. Celtic are in the unusual position of being outsiders for a league they have dominated for so long.


"Kieran Tierney" (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Graham`s pics

Other notable absentees from defence include Kieran Tierney, who initially resisted overtures from top English clubs before signing for Arsenal. The nous and experience of Sweden right-back Mikael Lustig, who won eight Scottish Premierships at Parkhead, is also missed.

Many Celtic midfielders of the recent past have ended up in the English Premier League. As well as Armstrong following the well-travelled path from Glasgow to Southampton, Noway's Stefan Johansen twice earned promotion with Fulham from the EFL Championship after leaving Scotland.

Goals from midfield aren't as bountiful as before, despite Australia international Tom Rogic remaining loyal to the Bhoys. Johansen and Armstrong were among those chipping in from the engine room during their days at Parkhead.

On the face of things, Celtic have the prolific Odsonne Edouard leading their attack and so it isn't a lack of goals up front that is the real problem. However, with even more firepower at their disposal, a better defence of the title may have been mounted.

Finland frontman Teemu Pukki didn't pull up any trees during his stint with the Hoops, but has since become a goal-machine at Norwich City. He fired the Canaries to the EFL Championship title as the division's top scorer in 2018-19 and then held his own at an even higher level.

Moussa Dembele, meanwhile, has gone on to play for Lyon in France after leaving Celtic and is now on loan with Atletico Madrid, who set the pace in Spain's La Liga this season. Had the Bhoys kept hold of these players, then they would still be a real force to be reckoned with.