Winning Formula

Whenever he pulls on the Hoops, Nir Bitton gives his all for the team, regardless of what position he is asked to play.

- Mark Henderson

NIR BITTON is now enjoying his fifth season as a Celt, and it’s fair to say that the crucial word to emphasise is ‘enjoying’. The 26-year-old has already won four league medals, two League Cups and the Scottish Cup since he signed from Israeli side, FC Ashdod back in August 2013.

He can also boast of being an ‘Invincible’, having played his part in last season’s extraordinary treble-winning triumph, with the unbeaten domestic run extending into this campaign when Brendan Rodgers’ side broke the 100-year-old record with a 4-0 victory over St Johnstone to go 63 consecutive games unbeaten.

This historic result came on the back of an impressive UEFA Champions League performance against Bayern Munich, when the Hoops were unlucky not to take something from the game.

In those two fixtures, and in many others this season, Bitton has been deployed in a defensive role, either in a centre-back pairing or as part of a back three. It may not be the position where he’s played most of his football or where he was originally brought in to Celtic to play, but the manner in which he has accepted the challenge, and the performances he has subsequently produced, are indicative of his character.

Speaking exclusively to the Celtic View during the international break, Bitton said: “It’s good to play and be on the pitch but even when I wasn’t playing, I always trusted my abilities and I know how I can play.

“It doesn’t matter if I play centre-back or centre-mid. In every game I will try to do my best. Some people will always talk and try and bring you down but as a professional, you have to ignore their words and in every game I try to do my best and help the team, and I try to show the gaffer why I deserve to play.