Among the many stories that would feature in a book about Brendan Rodgers’ time at Celtic one chapter of special interest would be dedicated to Erik Sviatchenko.
The defender was a key part of the early development under the former Liverpool boss with his leadership qualities noted and mentioned as a possible future captain.
Something seems to have gone badly wrong in January 2017 as the Dane slipped out of contention before returning to join Midtjylland in Denmark.
Happy Weekend and Treble Treble to all of you ???????? @CelticFC pic.twitter.com/7HbzajFMbc
— Erik Sviatchenko (@eriksviat) May 31, 2019
Sviatchenko had made a big impression on the Celtic support, his social media profile was of someone who had really taken to the club with his wife playing for the Celtic ladies team and his sister working with the Celtic Foundation. His son William certainly seems very attacked to his dad’s former club.
With a Scottish Cup suspension to be served in the first match of 2017 Sviatchenko made way for Dedryck Boyata and never quite won his place back in the side.
A return to favour opened up at the start of the 2017/18 season with the traditional injury crisis in central defence but drafted into the side away to Rosenborg the Dane himself was injured in the first half- and never seen again as a Celtic player.
A loan spell back to Midtjylland was arranged in January 2018 which was converted to a permanent move last summer but the memories of Celtic and interaction with fans continues.