Liel Abada's 'unplanned' Celtic exit has saddened Brendan Rodgers.

Abada, 22, ended his two-and-a-half year spell in Glasgow by joining MLS side Charlotte FC on Thursday. 

The Israeli winger was a fan favourite at Celtic, but political circumstances involving his homeland have led to the player forcing a transfer - just six months after penning a new four-year deal.

“Firstly, it’s desperately sad, the whole situation,” the Celtic boss said. “A fantastic young player, came here as a 19-year-old, to another country and lit up the field with so many fantastic goals and had a really successful period. Whatever doubts he had in the summer, he was really happy to commit and sign a new deal.

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“And now, through probably no fault of his own or the club’s, he has had to leave to take his career elsewhere. I spoke to Liel on Monday evening, we had him round the house, because I knew he was going to be travelling the next morning.

"It’s desperately sad because I was really, really looking forward to working with him over a period of time and seeing if we could develop his game.

"But if you look back, he has created some wonderful memories here at Celtic and I’m sure Glasgow will have a big place in his heart, and we wish him all the very best over in America.”

Rodgers thoroughly enjoyed working with Abada, who scored 29 goals during his 112 appearances and bemoaned the loss of the playmaker. Although, he totally empathises with his reasons for leaving Celtic.

“It was really, really difficult for him,” Rodgers continued. “He was training every day, committed to his work, he is a top professional. But the situation, how it evolved, it felt very difficult. And football is a game very much of the mind.

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"If you’re not quite focused or if you can’t put something aside, something as big as this, then of course it becomes very, very difficult to be at your very, very best. Sadly, that was the case for him.

"We spoke most days, just checking in to make sure he was OK, seeing him in his training, but ultimately he wants to play football. And when it got to the situation where I felt there was no chance, we both looked at it, and as a club as well, felt that the best possibility would be for him to move on.

“It’s clearly a situation that was unplanned, and wherever it comes from, there were multiple reasons not to be in that frame of mind. But, listen, it’s done now. He has moved on, had a great two-and-a-half years, done very well, and we have to move on.”