Ex-Celtic star lifts lid on feud with Brendan Rodgers as he claims ‘it was all so unnecessary'

Scottish Sun

07-05-2025

CELTS SPAT Ex-Celtic star lifts lid on feud with Brendan Rodgers as he claims 'it was all so unnecessary'
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DEDRYCK BOYATA has opened up on his infamous spat with Brendan Rodgers that hastened his exit from Celtic.
The Belgian defender was a bit of a coup when he signed for the Hoops from Manchester City in 2015.
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Dedryck Boyata enjoyed working under Brendan Rodgers at Celtic
Credit: Kenny Ramsay - The Sun Glasgow
He proved to be adept at playing the ball out from the back and a goal threat at the other end, scoring six goals in his first season in Scottish football.
The centre-back bagged another five the following year despite missing several games through injuries.
That season was the first under Rodgers and while their relationship got off on the right foot, it ended in Glasgow on a more sour note.
Boyata was the subject of transfer speculation in the summer of 2018, with rumours of a move to the Premier League or the continent swirling.
But Celtic had the small matter of attempting to qualify for the Champions League on their plate, with a tricky tie against AEK Athens looming.
Boyata declared himself unfit to play in the match and insisted he was dealing with an injury.
But Rodgers wasn't happy - and publicly admonished him.
Boyata has now given his version of events.
He also lifted the lid on why he signed for Celtic in the first place, after being tapped up by Ronny Deila.
"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," he explained in an interview with The Celtic Way.
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"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."
Boyata was already capped by Belgium when he arrived at Celtic but that was five years beforehand.
But after starring at Celtic Park - and particularly thanks to Rodgers once he arrived - Boyata was able to force his way back into the Belgium team.
Speaking about Rodgers' influence, Boyata said: "He 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."
But fast forward to 2018 and the pair were at loggerheads.
With Boyata ruling himself out, Celtic went on to lose in Athens and dropped into the Europa League.
The issue led to widespread criticism of Boyata from the Hoops support and beyond, including club legends.
The Green Brigade held up a banner that said he was "unfit to wear the Celtic jersey".
Lisbon Lion Bertie Auld felt the episode was a disgrace and called on Rodgers to NEVER play Boyata again.
Auld said: "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.
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"The way he has treated Brendan Rodgers, his colleagues and everyone at Celtic and the supporters has been an absolute disgrace, totally unacceptable."
Now, Boyata is trying to set the record straight for good.
He said: "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 £9million 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."
He added: "Up until then, I enjoyed a very good relationship with the coaches and the staff at Celtic."
Boyata was gradually welcomed back to the first team at Celtic when no transfer materialised (he eventually left on a free transfer to Hertha Berlin in May 2019).
But the man himself was unsure of how to react on his return to action, particularly given how poorly he was now viewed in the eyes of many Hoops supporters.
He said: "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.
"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."
Boyata, now 34, is on the lookout for another club after his contract with Club Brugge came to an end.
Would he work with Rodgers again?
The answer is yes - and the two are on speaking terms again too.
Boyata said: "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."
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