Celtic defender Dedryck Boyata has revealed he had the opportunity to move to Everton from Manchester City before heading to Parkhead and that he regrets not taking that chance.
The Belgian enforcer came through the youth ranks at City before eventually moving to Celtic on a permanent deal, having spent time on loan with Bolton and FC Twente.
However, the 27-year-old, who was at the heart of controversy over the summer as he looked to force a move away from the Hoops, revealed he could have moved to Everton instead and that he regrets not taking on the chance to head to Goodison Park when offered to him.
He told De Zondag: “After that season I was able to go to Everton. I should have done that. City became bigger and bigger every year. That does not make it easy for a youth player to continue to grow.
“(This summer) was hard. I will not deny that. But everything is going well again today. I play every game. We will see what the future will bring. I do not try to think too much about that.”
Opinion
Boyata says that he regrets missing out on that move to Everton and quite frankly he should. He could have been playing regular Premier League football for the Toffees and his development could have seen him reach even higher heights. However, he instead found himself shipped north of the border to Celtic and while he is a senior mainstay for the Hoops he is hardly flavour of the month and with a contract that ends in the summer it seems that his time at Parkhead will come to an end sooner rather than later. Has the chance of a Premier League shot passed him by? Time will tell, but he might be able to secure a move in England’s top flight if the price is right. There were rumours over the summer and they have continued into the current campaign and so he could well put that regret to bed and finally prove that he has what it takes after being thrown to the wayside by Manchester City.