Celtic goalkeeper Craig Gordon has revealed it was business as usual for the first team squad with Dedryck Boyata making his return to training after his recent controversy.
The Belgian defender was at the heart of an argument over availability, with the player insisting he was injured after suggestions he had refused to play, while manager Brendan Rodgers revealed there was no injury blow suffered by the centre back.
This led to Boyata reportedly being exiled from first team training, but has made his return back into the fold, and senior veteran Gordon has said that the players hold no hard feelings towards the defender behind the scenes.
He told Sky Sports: “He’s been a really good player and a big part of what we’ve achieved over the last few seasons. He’s come back and played quickly after injuries and done everything he could for the team and been a leader, especially among the French-speaking boys in the team.
“There’s a lot of good things he’s brought to the club so, from a players’ point of view, there’s no problem in him coming back to training.
“Dedryck has been well-liked in his entire time amongst the players so it was just a case of getting back to business and him coming back in and training the way he always has done.”
Opinion
This is a really surprising revelation from Gordon, confirming that there were no issues between Boyata and his team mates when making that return to training. There would have been some expectation from those outside the club that the cold shoulder would be given to the Belgian after what appeared to be a refusal to play but that does not seem to be the case. Still, something does not sit right with his return and until a definitive answer is given on how and why this issue came about, the Hoops faithful are unlikely to give him as warm a reception as Gordon and the rest of the Celtic team have. The Bhoys fans demand faithfulness and loyalty from their players and Boyata has betrayed their support with his actions. An apology, or at least some sort of explanation, must be issued before Rodgers is giving him any sort of game time.