Charlie Nicholas has spoken out about the criticism he gets from Celtic fans.
During his first spell at Celtic alongside Davie Provan, Frank McGarvey, Murdo MacLeod, Paul McStay and Tommy Burns the bhoy from Maryhill was as big a hero as any of the current favourites.
That popularity fell through the floor in 1983 when he joined Arsenal and although he returned for a second stint at Celtic things were never the same.
A few decades in the company of Jim White in the Sky Sports studio lengthened the distance between Nicholas and the Celtic support.
In recent times the former Scotland striker appears to be trying to win his way back into favour but an attack on Stan Petrov demonstrated how out of touch Nicholas has become.
Picking up on his column in The Express, the Daily Record reports Nicholas saying:
I get a lot of hassle from different elements of the Celtic support who take a different view to me.
I take it and I know some of the fans take things personally because they think I go over the top about our club sometimes.
I can accept where some of the criticism comes towards me and I get it, I do. I am first to admit that I don’t always get it right
These days Nicholas’ media work is restricted to a weekly column for The Express.
You have burned your bridges, you have crossed your Rubicon and made your own bed.
Yet, you still don’t get/see it
Hasn’t been your club for over 3 decades ya fud. I don’t like it when people describe him as former Celtic “STAR”. He was a good player during his 1st stint, but Elric have had hundreds of good players, but that doesn’t make them “STARS”. Neil Lennon also commented that he’d never seen him at Celtic Park in the 2 decades that he was there, but anyone willing to listen to him would think that he was a long time season ticket holder. The guy is a hasbeen and his deteriorating career is all but done and we won’t have to listen to has absolute guff again.
He sold us out for our enemies gold. Sutton and Hartson show ex Celtic players how to act in the media when playing career is over. You don’t have to slavishly praise your old club but you should defend it against unfair criticism and give praise when it is due.
Charlie should remember that EVERYONE has a right to an opinion.
But that is all it is – AN OPINION
Perhaps he can now reveal any bias he perceived at his previous employers.