Abada and Celtic: A strained relationship that had to end

At the time of writing, the Israel international had completed a medical with MLS expansion club Charlotte FC, with the winger putting pen to paper on a multi-year deal with the North Carolina outfit. He will meet up with a familiar face in former Rangers midfielder Scott Arfield and Dean Smith, who replaced Brendan Rodgers as Leicester City manager last season following the Northern Irishman’s dismissal midway through their campaign.

If we’re being honest, not many would have believed that Abada’s destination immediately following his Celtic tenure would have been stateside, despite the improvements made by those in charge of the United States and Canada’s premier footballing competition. Indeed, the destination for the promising wide player looked to be elsewhere in Europe last summer, with the likes of Sporting Club de Portugal and Ajax both sniffing around a player who posted double digits in both goals and assists in his first two seasons at the club.

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This season has been different, for a multitude of reasons. Injuries have played their part in the hampering of Abada’s first season under Rodgers, whilst off-field issues have made his position as a Celtic player seemingly untenable, with the player ‘not in the frame of mind to play’, according to his manager.

The relationship between Abada and Celtic is one that has clearly broken down over the past couple of months. You only have to look at his performance against Hibs last month to confirm that notion. A player who looked like he wanted to be anywhere but Easter Road, his appearance was that of an individual who had mentally checked out, with Rodgers making the call to take him out of first-team contention days later.

It was not always like this, however, as he burst onto the scene back in 2021 to the adoration of a support who badly needed new heroes. Legendary captain Scott Brown had departed the club, whilst Kristoffer Ajer and Odsonne Edouard were making moves to leave in the summer window by means of a permanent transfer. Signing a five-year-deal, the then 19-year-old was Ange Postecoglou’s first major signing in charge of his new club, following the arrivals of Liam Shaw and Osaze Urhoghide from Sheffield Wednesday.

Postecoglou’s first big signing would make a telling impact on his first professional game in charge of Celtic, as Abada would score on his competitive debut against FC Midtjylland. In a move that would become almost a trademark for the forward, he ghosted into the box and converted a rebounded shot by Ryan Christie, another player who would leave the club just weeks later. Though his new club would lose the return leg in Denmark a week later, Abada had established himself as a breakout star in Postecoglou’s daring and exciting system.

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The young winger would end the season with 15 goals and a further 11 assists, a great return for his first year playing football outside of his homeland. His crowning moment, scoring the third goal in a 3-0 victory over Rangers in February 2022, a season-defining game that changed the trajectory of the title completely at Celtic Park. The ‘Ghost of Parkhead’ haunted proceedings again, as he slipped in at the back post beyond Borna Barasic. The Croatian full-back fell to his knees as the forward slammed home his first goal against his club’s greatest rivals, with his hero status cemented as a result.

Two trophies would be won by the winger in his first season, followed by a further three the year after in Postecoglou’s second and final season in charge of the club. 13 goals and nine assists in all competitions meant he was down on volume from his first season, perhaps in part due to the arrival into first-team proceedings for Daizen Maeda, a player who Postecoglou managed previously at Yokohama F Marinos. 27 of his 47 total appearances were off of the bench, a big change from his starting role the season prior.

Despite this, he scored a double in a 4-0 victory against Rangers at Celtic Park, as well as a goal and an assist against Inverness to seal an unprecedented treble for the club. The vultures seemed to be swirling in the form of Portuguese and Dutch giants, though Abada stayed put at the club, signing a new deal as the transfer window closed on September 1.

Without going into the political element of what is going on in his homeland – or how supporters feel about the conflict that is going on – Abada’s return to the first team was universally welcomed by those in Celtic Park, as his substitute appearance against Rangers generated the loudest response outwith Kyogo Furuhashi and Paulo Bernardo’s goals that day. This support was maintained throughout, but Abada’s position became even more and more untenable, not helped by the player electing to walk straight up the tunnel after games - the only individual to do so - rather than applaud the supporters.

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Abada leaves the club as a player who showed plenty of promise – scoring some massive goals along the way – though the pinnacle of that potential will unfortunately not be reached at Celtic. A sad end to what looked to be a bit of a career reset for Abada under Rodgers, who rated the player very highly when asked about the winger. That reset will now happen in the States, as a Designated Player under Smith.

The fee – quoted to be just under £10 million plus add-ons – is a healthy return for a player who was not playing any part in recent weeks, though it may be a tad on the cheap side for a player who only recently signed a new deal just five months ago. Still, given the circumstances both player and club find themselves in with each other, this may be an easy get-out for both sides, in all honesty.

A sad end, but a necessary one, for all parties.