Celtic defender Marvin Compper has taken a dig at Brendan Rodgers by claiming “even my team mates don’t understand why I don’t play”.
The German centre-back has made just one appearance, in a cup tie against Morton last season, since arriving for £1million from RB Leipzig in January.
The 33-year-old has claimed he is fit and was heavily critical of manager Rodgers for his lack of game time at Parkhead as he revealed he turned down the chance to leave the Glasgow giants over the summer.
Compper told German newspaper BILD : “I’m fit and I train very well. Even my team-mates do not understand why I do not play.
“In the summer I had a calf injury. I got an athletic trainer and a physio at my own expense and made myself fit. Now it is up to the coach Brendan Rodgers to finally give me the trust.
“I still have a contract until 2020, but of course I do not want to sit on the bench. In August, Celtic suggested to me about a change of club. But I do not want to move on so easily. I hope for my chance and want to play.”
OPINION
Rodgers giving the cold shoulder to a Celtic 2018 signing? Tell us something new. Compper and Daniel Arzani are at opposite ends of their careers, but both have suffered from the Northern Irishman’s deep-freeze of those he doesn’t know and trust, the same as Charly Musonda did after joining on loan in January before his 18-month loan from Chelsea was hastily terminated 12 months early. It’s getting beyond a joke how Rodgers doesn’t even give opportunities to those the club brings in. Obviously, he doesn’t rate them highly enough. But it also says much about the depths plummeted by the club’s recruitment team, headed by Rodgers’ ex-Chelsea ally Lee Congerton. There doesn’t appear to be any synergy between the coaching and scouting teams and, if there is, they’re all hiding it really well. The writing is on the wall for Compper and it is difficult to see him getting back in the side before his inevitable January exit.