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Unsatisfied- Chris Jullien speaks out as another big Celtic decision looms

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Image for Unsatisfied- Chris Jullien speaks out as another big Celtic decision looms

Chris Jullien has spoken out about his frustrations about his lack of playing time at Celtic. 

The defender was ruled out for the whole of 2021 as he recovered from a knee injury with Carl Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers arriving as first choice central defenders. 

Jullien was given a 16 minute run out as a substitute against Raith Rovers in February but has yet to kick a ball in the SPFL with Carter-Vickers and Starfelt playing every minute of the league matches since the turn of the year. 

With 12 months left on his contract some big decisions could be made this summer with Jullien making his frustrations known in an interview with Goal:  

GOAL: You’ve played 16 minutes in the Scottish Cup this season and appeared on the bench for Celtic five times and most of the time you’re not even in the squad. How do you explain this situation? 

CJ: Since mid-January, I feel 100%, after that it is the choices of the coach. It belongs to him and he is successful: we have been champions since Wednesday and in December we won the Cup. And on the return phase, they only lost two points so it’s really exceptional. For my part, I told the coach in January that I was ready to go. Now it’s his choice and sometimes he doesn’t take me on the bench because he prefers to take a midfielder who can play in central defense. I’m still unsatisfied with my playing time this season because it’s frustrating and all I want is to be on the pitch. 

GOAL: Is it all the more frustrating that in your first season at Celtic you were one of the strong men of the team, scoring the winning goal in the League Cup final? 

CJ: Yes of course. Since my first day at Celtic, the supporters, the fans, the staff, everyone has quickly adopted me. I felt really great and I still feel great. Now, what is difficult is the playing time. I have always been ready to give everything and the proof is that I had this injury by having saved a goal on the line which cost me a injury of almost ten months. I’ve always done my best for this club and that’s why it’s a little frustrating, but today the ball is in the coach’s court. 

GOAL: Does this situation make you think about the rest of your adventure in Scotland? 

CJ: Necessarily. Despite the fact that I gave everything for this club and I would have liked to bring more to the team this year, the playing time is not there at all. I still have a year of contract here and I would like to continue playing but my priority is to be on the pitch. But in my situation and with this playing time, it is not possible. 

Late this morning Celtc announced that Nir Bitton and Tom Rogic are about to leave the club, having cost £7m from Toulouse in the summer of 2019 Jullien is likely to be on one of the biggest salaries at the club. 

A renewal on similar terms seems unlikely but equally unlikely is another club putting in a transfer bid for a defender that has only played 20 minutes first team football in the last year and a half. 

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0 comments

  • Peter Cassidy says:

    Jullien might just get playing time next season if we can’t get vickers to sign epl teams will offer bigger transfer fee and wages we cant match but also its down to the manager if he rates him the frenchman won’t be long anyway one way or the other.

  • Bhoy4life says:

    Let’s not forget Julien was having a nightmare few months before he got injured, his form was as bad as anybody’s in the team at that time.
    Easily pushed off the ball and bullied by most of the strikers in the league.
    We need the Julien that first arrived at the club, if he returns then all well and good.

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