Giorgos Giakoumakis has issued a stunning claim that he was forced out of Celtic earlier this year.
In February the Greek striker joined MLS outfit Atlanta United from the Scottish champions for a fee of around £4m.
The 28-year-old has been in fine form since moving Stateside, scoring 17 goals in his debut campaign, which saw him earn MLS Newcomer of the Season.
He joined Celtic under Postecoglou during the summer of 2021. He endured a slow start to life in Glasgow but eventually became a fans' favourite after bagging 26 goals in 57 appearances while mainly playing as a support act to Kyogo.
Last November it became apparent that his future would lie away from Parkhead. The striker's game time decreased further, although he did score on his last appearance for the club against Kilmarnock at Hampden.
Now, speaking to The Athletic, Giakoumakis has revealed he had a strained relationship with Postecoglou and 'issues' with some of the hierarchy at the club.
He said: “I wouldn’t think to leave Celtic if several things didn’t go wrong, and many of them were completely wrong. I cannot lie. My relationship with the manager wasn’t great, at the end of the day. We never had a specific fight, but he didn’t trust me as much as I wanted to feel trusted.
“I had to go. I had to go. I never regretted a moment. I was sad that I had to leave Celtic. I was living a life there. I was like a god for the fans.
"My connection with them was really special, and it was sad, but I had to make my decision. My last month in Celtic I was suffering because of some people at the club. I didn’t receive the respect from the people or from the club. So actually, I think they forced me to go out.”
