Dedryck Boyata

Has to be one of the worst things we’ve done as a club ever

 

How the * has he managed a move to Valencia?

 

After his first few games I thought he was worse than the calamitous Ambrose; his passing was ridiculously bad.

He definitely grew on me though and played a big part in the invincible treble run.

 

pls no

Still stand by it. Nowhere near as bad a player as some think. Rejecting £9m, in hindsight, was mental. But wasn’t it almost the end of the window when we turned it down? And when he returned to the team that season he was genuinely very good.

Miles better than Ambrose, not as good as Starfelt or CCV. For this bear.

 

I feel that's an accurate view of his time here. Wasn't great wasn't *. Can remember Morelos making a * of him a few times tho. And aye rejecting 9 mill was crazy.

 

Similar to Loovens had his moments but was nowhere near as bad as made out for the most part

 

He was absolutely awful for the most part, so much so that opposition teams used to relax whenever he got the ball and actually dropped off to allow him to come forward knowing he would do * all but make a mistake!

 

Aye this my memory of him. He had good physical attributes but panicked like *, couldn't hit a five yard pass and had a stinking attitude. How he's had the career he has is remarkable.

 

It was near the end of the window but he played games in a world cup getting 3rd place, someone was always coming in. We had needed an additional cb anyway.

 

Rodgers threatened to resign if we accepted it. Suppose that * was looking for any excuse to make him look good whilst working his ticket

 

Around the same time, we rejected 14M for Nicham too.

 

Big Boyata and Jaqueline Hendry at the back man

Would rather have Dan Majstorovic and Jos Hooiveld on a bad day.

 

Didn't they tell Hendry to find another club?

 

Dedryck Boyata and Club Brugge decided today to terminate their contract by mutual agreement. Boyata (34) came over from the German Hertha BSC in August 2022. The defender eventually played 26 games for Club in which he scored 1 goal.

 

Dedryck Boyata on life at Celtic, Rodgers rift and what he regrets




Dedryck Boyata speaks exclusively to The Celtic Way about his ups and downs at Celtic, his relationship with Brendan Rodgers and the controversy he became embroiled in during his stay in Glasgow




Dedryck Boyata is a name that will often divide opinion amongst Celtic supporters.

The former Belgian internationalist spent four years at the club after arriving from Manchester City in the summer of 2015.

It's not his arrival that the green and white faithful pore over; it's more the events in his final season, 2018/19, that still leave a sour taste in the mouth for some. The scar tissue from those days still runs deep, considering Celtic were knocked out of the Champions League to Greek side AEK Athens at the beginning of the campaign, with a makeshift defence in place.

Boyata maintains that he was injured, which caused him to miss the 2-1 second leg defeat in Greece. At the time, Rodgers declared he was fit. There was also speculation surrounding a failed £9 million bid from Fulham, which he claims affected him greatly.

Boyata's agent at the time, Jacques Lichtenstein, stated that his client was in the final year of his contract, and therefore, he could not risk playing when not 100 per cent fit. Many felt that Boyata had simply sold out his teammates, with accusations he had acted unprofessionally and petulantly because he was denied a move back to England

Before and after getting embroiled in that situation, Boyata, who made 135 appearances for the club in total, enjoyed lots of good times at Celtic and had shown strong improvement in the heart of the Bhoys' defence. He still recalls many memories fondly, and it's clear that his achievements in Scotland are still close to his heart.

Who better to tell the entire history of his time at Celtic than the player himself



Starting at Celtic: Deila's pitch and early impact
There were high hopes when Celtic plucked the Belgian from Manchester City in the summer of 2015 as they got ready for another season under Norwegian Ronny Deila.

Boyata arrived in June as an early signal of intent in the transfer window. The player had come from the same club as former City teammate Jason Denayer, who was a smash hit during his one-season loan at Celtic.

Celtic were hoping that lightning could strike twice under Deila, who had sold the club and their ambitions to the stopper personally on a trip to the Etihad Stadium.

Boyata admits that he jumped at the chance of regular first-team football in Glasgow, where he would win the title in his first full season.

The early signs were also encouraging as Boyata ingratiated himself with the Celtic supporters when he netted on his home debut against Stjarnan and Qarabag in the early Champions League qualifiers.

Boyata states, "I wanted to go my own way, and that is why I decided to come to Celtic, as I wanted regular first-team football as I felt I was ready for it, and I probably wouldn't have got it at Manchester City.

"I was a City player who had graduated through the academy, and I was still a young player. I played some first-team games, but I never felt I would be a permanent part of a first-team eleven.

"Coming to Celtic was a way for me to go to a team where the demands are high, and I could become a main player. Playing under Ronny Deila was a good and a new experience. I started at City with Mark Hughes, then it was Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini, who, of course, are well-experienced managers, but coming to Celtic was a new level for me.

"It was Ronny who came to see me playing at City and sold me on the move to Celtic. He chose the right words, and he told me what to expect, and I enjoyed playing under him as we won the title, but we did not do so well in the cup competitions.

"It was good to win my first league title at that point in my career, but at the end of Ronny's reign, the tension was quite high. It was a year of discovering a new league, and it ended successfully enough for me.

"It was a good feeling to score for Celtic and ingratiate myself with the supporters right away, as I had come from Manchester City, and I didn't know what to expect.

"To score on my first game at Celtic Park was a wonderful experience, and to repeat that against Qarabag was fantastic. That was an important goal as it got us through to the play-off qualifiers, but sadly, we lost to Malmö and then dropped into the Europa League

Lofty comparisons to iconic defenders in Celtic's past came thick and fast because of Boyata's physique, size and build but, at times in those early months, he failed to convince as a central defender.

Turning 25 mid-season, Boyata was no rookie, but there were question marks about his suitability for Celtic, despite being rated highly by the successive Belgian national team bosses Marc Wilmots and Roberto Martinez.

There were some underwhelming performances during the campaign, which saw Celtic defeated 3-1 by Ross County in the League Cup, and things reached a nadir when he was part of the side that lost to Rangers at Hampden on penalties in the 2016 Scottish Cup semi-final, which unsurprisingly spelt the end of Deila's short-lived two-year managerial reign and ushered in the era of Brendan Rodgers.

He notes, "The Hampden game was not a nice experience, although better things were around the corner; we just didn't know it yet.



The Rodgers revolution: Mentorship and becoming Invincible
Brendan Rodgers turned Celtic around in the summer of 2016. His arrival was greeted with a huge fanfare, and 13,000 supporters crammed into Celtic Park just to wave to the Irishman on his official unveiling the first time around.

Boyata credits the incoming manager with transforming his career, citing attention to detail, trust, and tactical development.

Boyata reflects, "Brendan Rodgers took my game to another level. It was quite hard for me in the beginning, but it was all worth it in the end.

"He drilled down into the finer details of my game - my passing, my heading, my positional play - everything. Brendan wanted me just to keep it all nice and simple and to play as I did in training. He was smart, and he said that everything would go well for me at Celtic if I followed his instructions. How right he was.

"Kolo Toure was also a mentor for me, as I knew him from our time at Manchester City, so it was great to see him in Glasgow. Kolo had a lot of experience in football. He was an excellent mentor for me. He helped me take great steps and strides in my career at Celtic."

Despite being a latecomer to the Rodgers party, as he spent months out injured, Boyata and the rest of his Celtic teammates ended up 'Invincible' treble winners. The Irishman steered the club to their first domestic clean sweep since 2001, entirely undefeated in league and cup football.

That joy was immense, Boyata explains, "I had to wait to make an impression. He worked on me, though, and he told me if I was going to play, then I had to work on various things in my game. He was thorough on the details, and he told me I would play when he felt I was ready. I played games in November and December, and then we came back from the winter training camp, and I forced my way into the team, and I never looked back.

"The atmosphere in that dressing room was unbelievable. To win all three trophies without losing a game was a fantastic achievement, and it will probably never be repeated. We had to go through some difficult times and games, but we got there in the end. We had a winning mentality, which stemmed from the manager, and we put in a lot of hard work during the season, and that's why we were so successful."

Boyata started to ingratiate himself with supporters once trusted to be part of Rodgers' starting set-up. He was on target as Celtic equalled the Lisbon Lions' run of 26 domestic games unbeaten against St Johnstone in January, then further cemented his growing hero status by scoring the fourth goal in a 5-1 win against Rangers at Ibrox in April.

He says, "That Rangers game at Ibrox was a great day for Celtic. That was such a special feeling to score in that match and to do it at Ibrox. The derby matches are something else entirely. They have a life of their own.

"I grew up in Belgium, and I was used to different derbies, but I only became aware of real derby matches when I came to play football in England.

"Then I was made aware of the Glasgow derby games against Rangers. I had heard of Celtic versus Rangers matches, but I never understood what it was. Let's just say that in Glasgow, you learn about it very quickly. It was a fantastic experience to score that goal against Rangers.



From Celtic Park to the World Cup
Boyata's status as a Celtic regular continued throughout the 2017/18 season, and his form started attracting attention outside of Glasgow, even if some fans were still unconvinced about his concentration after a couple of high-profile mistakes.

A great performance in his native Belgium away to Anderlecht helped earn him an international call-up and start for his country in November.

That would prove to be a key catalyst for Boyata's selection to the Belgium squad for the Russia 2018 World Cup. He played in every group match alongside the country's 'Golden Generation', who eventually finished third in the tournament.

Rodgers and his Celtic staff had helped transform him into a player capable of performing at the highest level, on the biggest stage. Boyata gives them that credit.

He recalls, "It was an incredible experience, and it was a great success for the country. When it comes to playing in the World Cup, I always appreciated that it was my club form for Celtic that gave me the platform to play at that level in that tournament. Celtic was the reason that I was there. To be at the World Cup is great, but to be there and to play and perform well in it is special.

"That Belgian team was a great side. The natural talent that the likes of Kompany, De Bruyne, Hazard and Lukaku possessed was frightening, there is no other word for it. We had a magical World Cup.

"I played in all of the group games and we beat England twice - once in the group and then in 3rd/4th place playoff match - that was a fact which was not lost on me playing for a Scottish team."



The Rodgers rift and AEK Athens fall-out
The international feel-good factor surrounding Boyata soon wore off. When players perform on the World Cup stage, they naturally attract attention from cash-rich clubs looking for a fix in the transfer window.

In the summer of 2018, there was talk of a move to a bigger, more illustrious league. There also appeared to be a steely determination from the Boyata camp to force through a move to Fulham after Celtic rejected a £9 million bid for his services.

It all came to a head as Celtic crashed out of the Champions League qualifiers 3-2 on aggregate that August, in what was regarded as a winnable two-legged tie. Boyata declared himself unfit for duty, with Jack Hendry drafted in. Rodgers' take on Boyata's injury status didn't align with the player's, and he said so publicly.

The saga provoked stinging criticism in the media from club icons such as Bertie Auld and Paul Lambert. Auld was particularly scathing, insisting that no individual player was bigger than Celtic.

The Lisbon Lion said at the time: "If I were the manager, would I play Boyata again? No chance. Never! In fact, I wouldn’t even let him train with the squad at Lennoxtown. I would have him escorted to Glasgow Green every day to train on his own in the public parks.

"The way he has treated Brendan Rodgers, his colleagues and everyone at Celtic and the supporters has been an absolute disgrace, totally unacceptable

So what is Boyata's version of the truth, and how does he reflect on it all now, nearly seven years later?

Boyata shares, "There was interest in me when I came back from the World Cup, especially from England, and Celtic still had Champions League qualifiers to negotiate.

"The question was how Celtic were going to deal with me; should I stay or should I leave? The first AEK Athens game was just before the English transfer deadline, and were we taking a risk with me? I had a blowout with the coach over that. I had a hamstring strain, and Celtic felt that I could have done more and participated in the away game.

"The Champions League qualifiers are important to a club like Celtic, and I think they believed that they could have advanced over AEK Athens in the two legs. The transfer window closed, and Fulham had reputedly offered £9 million to sign me. With all the people you have around you and advising you, you just always try to make the right decision.

"It was just sad that all these things went on, as it was all so unnecessary. It did affect me at the time, I cannot lie about that. There was a lot of speculation, and negative things were said about me. It was difficult to concentrate on football.

"It is not nice to be in these kinds of situations. I love Celtic and the time I spent there, but this was an episode that was very sad during my time in Glasgow. I came back from injury and played more games that season, so that showed everybody the kind of character that I had.

"You have the player who finds himself dealing with situations on the pitch, then you have issues off the pitch surrounding family and the future. Then you have the football fan who comes to the game and just wants to see his team win and the players perform. The question for them is that they don't know how you, as a player, are supposed to feel at home when things like this are affecting you.

"It is different. That is why we have created a shell for footballers to perform every week, because if players were asked to speak every day about their own problems to justify their performance, it would never work. That's the hard part of the game, but it is far outweighed by the good parts."

Boyata did return to the Celtic first team fold, but not without unhappy supporters having their say.

The defender had a clear-the-air talk with Rodgers and was reinstated to bundle home the winner in a 1-0 home league win against Hamilton Academical. The same day, fan group 'The Green Brigade' unfurled a banner that read: 'Boyata - Not Fit To Wear The Jersey'.

Significant damage had been done to his relationship with sections of the support, some of whom had also jeered him.

Thinking back, Boyata insists, "I am not lying when I tell you I did not see the banner! It was pointed out to me after the match. I think scoring the winner showed everybody at Celtic where my commitment and my loyalties lay. Up until then, I enjoyed a very good relationship with the coaches and the staff at Celtic.

"When I was put in that situation, it was difficult for me. When you find yourself in those situations, you don't know how you are supposed to react. It is supposed to be all about the football, isn't it?

"A player who doesn't play well is always going to be criticised, but my goal was just to play football. When you play football and you hear fans booing you, it is very difficult, but at the end of the day, it is all about football, and I ended up scoring the goal that day against Hamilton, which turned out to be the winner. That is a good story




'I Wish I’d Enjoyed It More’: Boyata reflects
It wouldn't be too long before the relationship between Celtic and Boyata would end. Having forced his way back into Rodgers' plans, he played his last game for the club in a 2-1 home league win against Rangers in March 2019.

Rodgers had quit the club to take up the Leicester City job in February and Neil Lennon was placed in interim charge. Boyata limped off injured before the end of that derby, which was to end his season prematurely and ultimately his Celtic career. He left to join Hertha Berlin in the summer of 2019, at the end of his contract.

Through the good and bad of his time in Scotland, Boyata's medal haul remains impressive. He won four Scottish Premiership titles, three Scottish Cups and and two League Cups in his four year stint.

Despite some controversy, Boyata can only remember the good times with the club. His one regret is that he wishes he had enjoyed them more


Having cancelled his most recent contract with Club Brugge, Boyata is on the lookout for a new club. In the meantime he is indulging in some TV and media work, which he feels is a good way of staying involved in the game.

Boyata admits, "I got injured. It is the story of my life during my career, not just at Celtic. You try to give your best every week and enjoy every minute when you can. I had some great success against Rangers during my time at Celtic. I won nine medals at Celtic, and that was nice.

"I had a very good time, I just wish I could have enjoyed it a bit more. Football always moves forward. I regret not enjoying the good times a lot more than I did. You always think about the future. It is only when you come to the end of your career that you start thinking about the places you have been and the achievements.

"That kind of success that I achieved with Celtic is always something you want to keep in your history because not many clubs have it. I have all my medals back home, and it is nice to look at them.

"As for the future, I am in a transitional period just now as I have cancelled my contract with Club Brugge. I have had offers in Belgian football, but they were not the right ones for me.

"I have not played games for a long time, but the hunger is still there, and you also need to find the physical strength to get going again, and I am almost there. I have also been doing some football punditry work on Belgian TV.

"That is very different, it is not the easiest thing to do. It is a different world and a different discipline for me. It involves a lot of talking and analysing, which I am not used to doing. It is a good way of staying involved in football, as I have been around the game all of my life."


Reuniting with Rodgers and an eye on Celtic Park
As Celtic's success continues, Boyata is delighted that his former manager and club are still dominant in Glasgow.

The Belgian remains on good terms with Rodgers and hopes to visit Scotland soon to catch up.

Boyata says, "Brendan is a highly successful manager. It's incredible he stands on the brink of another 'Treble'. Celtic had a great run in the Champions League, I was looking out for their results in Europe.

"It pleases me to see him do so well. It is nice for the younger players to work with such an experienced coach and to cope with the atmosphere of playing for a club like Celtic. Brendan will always help you.

"I spoke to him recently and told him that I needed to speak to him and see how he works again. He was the manager who inspired me as a player with his ideas and the work that he put into me.

"I am eternally grateful for that. You know, with Brendan, the door is always open, and he said I would be welcome back any time

 

He was better than people made him out to be.