Disappointed Carlton Cole reckons he didn't get to make his mark at Celtic amid rows over his fitness and position with boss Ronny Deila.
Cole signed a two-year deal at Celtic in 2015 under Deila after nine seasons with Premier League outfit West Ham, but his stay was cut short as the Parkhead side released him after just eight months. The seven-time England cap was at the end of his career and struggled to make his mark when he arrived in Glasgow's east end, with Leigh Griffiths enjoying a sensational goalscoring season and surpassing the 40-goal mark.
Cole netted just once during just five appearances for the Parkhead side in the Scottish Cup win over Stranraer, but did also controversially have a strike against Inverness ruled to be an own goal. However, he will have a chance to find the net for Celtic again as he pulls on the 38-year-old pulls on his boots again as Masters Football returns at Braehead this weekend.
Cole, who rounded off his career in America and Indonesia after leaving Celtic Park, is relishing a second chance in the green and white. He reckons he wasn't give a fair chance under the current Standard Liege boss, who has also went on to lift the MLS Cup with New York City.
Cole told The Sportsman : “The manager at the time was Ronny Deila. He wanted me to play a certain way. He wanted me to run the channels more. You know what, I can't play like that now, I'm a target man.
"All you need to get is Leigh Griffiths off of me. You won't see the best of me on the wings. You’ll only see the best of me in the 18-yard box. So we had a bit of a disagreement and that didn't bode well. He didn't want to play me as much.
"He was saying I wasn't fit enough. How am I supposed to get fit If I don't play matches? I played about five reserve games and he still thought I wasn't fit.
"Reserve games are not the same as first team games. It's a different level. I need to play more first team games, give me 25 minutes here and there. I'll get back up to speed but he just didn't want to do this. He's finding excuses.
"So I've got no bitterness towards him or his staff or anything like that. But at the time, it was a bit disorganised.”
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