Brendan Rodgers has admitted that Liel Abada may never again be ready to play again for Celtic.
The Israeli winger was left out of the squad that beat St Mirren in order to help clear his mind, despite returning to training he won’t be involved in Saturday’s match against Kilmarnock.
Abada is caught up in the most unlikely of situations despite extending his Celtic contract earlier this season.
For many years Celtic supporters have demonstrated their support for the people of Palestine, with the events of the last few months it would be very uncomfortable for an Israeli player to acknowledge fans with many waving the Palestine flag.
The issues came to a head away to Hibs last week, after a disappointing performance after coming off the bench Abada was the only Celtic player not to applaud the away fans as they celebrated Adam Idah’s late winner from the penalty spot.
I’m really empathetic towards the issue that he has. It’s more than football, it’s at a human level and we have to respect that.
He’s training, he’s working but as I said it’s all about the mind and if you’re not quite right or ready then I can’t take any risk with him and protect the squad as well.
People can talk about what’s going on there and then forget about it but that’s the reality for him – that’s his life.
Every day and night, families in a war. So it’s a really tough situation for him and on a human level I have empathy for him.
It’s my job and we’ll do that as I have with a number of players before, take the human aspect, and look after him. When he’s ready, if he’s ever ready, he’ll give us everything. Might he have to look for a move or a loan? It’s a possibility, we’ll see. We’ll work together on it.
Although he has yet to play a full 90 minutes since his January move from Rapid Vienna Nicolas Kuhn offers a similar option to Abada on the right wing.
With each match missed it will be harder for Abada to return to action, at this stage of the season there is no scope for quietly reintroducing anyone to the side.
Yeah, I can fully appreciate what Abada might be feeling. I mean his familial and cultural loyalties conflicting with his professional imperative of heaning a living for himself and his family.
But sure we are all familiar with such conflicting emotions!
“What School Did You Go To?”
required such a conflict of emotions for generations of Gaels in this place.
Keep your religious practises or take the shilllin’, as it would have been for the Irish under British Dominion in Ireland.
Thankfully there are plenty who kept their religion, their nationality and their dignity under such pressure!
Diamonds are not rust!
These are the freedoms we realise today.
Happy ‘Saint Patrick’s Day’ when it comes.
Yep – I didn’t like what I used to see unfold in the six occupied counties in The Island of Ireland maister…
It fucked with ma head what nationalists had to suffer from authorities over there back then –
But when I took a fortnight off work with depression because of it, I got paid Fcuk all but statutory sick pay (the equivalent to the dole)…
Statutory Sick Pay for Abada then – He won’t stay on that for too long – I certainly didn’t !
Well I certainly don’t agree with you this time mate. Maybe you didn’t hang around longer than you needed to. But that was up to you!
Abada is a very highly paid football professional player with a long and lucrative contract that he signed himself.
And Brendan Rodgers is a very highly paid profwessional football manager.
So, forget the rest. Abada doesn’t carry a gun and neither are there guns pointed at him here!
So get your arse out on the field and start scoring hat-tricks for Celtic.
Is that not good enough for ye?
Punt.
ASAP.
Rodgers is well above his station here. Dreams of being a politician, humanist, psychiatrist, empathist, risk assessor / taker, realist!
You are a football manager. Get the guy playing football and playing well and forget the stations youyu aspire to ya fockin dick!
You are looking more like Lennon every passing day!
We need players to win this league this year. If Abada isn’t professional enough to play then gtf. The support backed him but that isn’t enough, please please leave and let the rest do their jobs and win this league.
A few months ago Richarlison (Tottenham HS) was successfully managing personal issues. At a Press Conference, a Journalist asked Ange Postecoglou an Impertinent
question. “What are YOU doing to help Richarlison”? Ange was fully alert.
He said “That’s not my job. We have people in this Club who are better than me at
helping Richi”. When counselling a client (Player in this case) all that is said must remain confidential. Brendan is demonstrably not a trained counsellor. As sole selector, why did he have to say, Liel may never play for this Club again. Celtic players should watch the video and read Joe’s piece. If any player has anxieties
or mental health issue do not seek your “Talk Therapy” from Rodgers. Rodgers says too much to the Media outlets. If Rodgers as sole selector was a Rugby Coach and said the same about a Rugby Player, to the Press; he would have been “Shirt Fronted” by most of the team.