Celtic defender Marvin Compper has refused the possibility of leaving the club in January as he looks to force his way back into the first team after being manager Brendan Rodgers had “written off” the senior outcast.
The 33-year-old defender has found himself far down the pecking order at Parkhead with injuries plaguing his time with the Hoops, and he is yet to make a single appearance this season with just one outing under his belt during the last campaign.
Contracted at the club until 2020, Compper has ruled out an early exit, insisting he has plenty to prove and that he is better than some of the other options at the Bhoys.
He told the Scottish Sun: “The first six months were difficult. Every three weeks or so I got minor injuries. Because of that, the coach had written me off. He thought this pattern would repeat itself and I would continue to be hurt.
“At the end of the transfer window, he told me that I wasn’t really in his plans at that moment. That was because he has never seen me in training for more than three or four weeks.
“I have signed here for two-and-a-half years and I want to see out my contract. I will be here until summer at least. If I have not played any role by then, we can always look again.
“I haven’t convinced the coach but based on feedback from the staff, I am closer to the mission.”
Opinion
Compper might well have no intentions of leaving in January but you can be sure that Rodgers might not be feeling the same way after being let down by the German centre back so many times. His injury record is appalling and there can be no trust left in the manager in a man who has constantly broken down before even making his way out onto the pitch. At 33 it is not like he has plenty of potential which makes it worth sticking by him for. He is heading into the twilight of his career and it is no wonder he wants to remain at Celtic Park for as long as he can, for he knows an exit will likely be to a lesser ranked side where the money will be by no means as good. Of course, Celtic might try to offload him in the winter window but he has no reason to leave, and it seems as though the Hoops are stuck with him whether they like it or not. If that is the case, then maybe Rodgers should make use of him, if for nothing more than to give his first choice options a rest.