Jeffrey Schlupp is refusing to rule out extending his stay at Celtic, after seeing comments from fans pleading with him to stay at the club.
The on-loan Crystal Palace man was a standout performer after being thrown in for a surprise start against Bayern Munich in the Allianz Arena on Tuesday night, earning rave reviews for keeping his former Selhurst Park teammate Michael Olise in check for the vast majority of the game.
The 32-year-old is out of contract with Palace this summer, but he insists his focus right now is on helping Celtic over the line in the league and cup, despite being happy to see that his new fans want him to hang around for while longer.
“Yeah, I've seen some bits here and there, but what will be, will be!” Schlupp said.
“That's out of my hands. Especially right now. The full focus is on the league and the cup, of course.
“Whatever happens after that, we'll see, but nothing's been mentioned. Full focus is on the league, and we'll just see from there.”
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Schlupp revealed that his old pal Olise was hugely impressed by Celtic and their performance in Bavaria, and that Brendan Rodgers’ men surprised the Bundesliga leaders with their level.
“Even when we were playing together in training and stuff, I was always coming up against him, and he’s a top player,” he said.
“So, I knew I had to be on my A game. We had a bit of fun out there, a bit of banter, a bit of kicking and stuff. But it was great to see him and see him playing so well on the biggest stage, it was nice to see.
“We spoke after and he just said how good of a team we are, and he was a bit surprised himself, to be fair, which was nice.
“Bayern Munich is one of the biggest clubs in the world and to be getting that sort of respect - and I think that's what we've come away with after that game, that respect worldwide.
“Everyone knows how big a club Celtic is and how well we do domestically, but I think to prove and show everyone we can do that on the biggest stage is a massive, massive thing.”
It is little wonder then given how warmly Schlupp talks about his experiences so far at Celtic, particularly those in the Champions League, that he appears open to extending his love affair with the club. Just as another old friend and former Leicester City teammate, Odsonne Edouard, had predicted.
“Everyone told me how special it was going to be, especially at home, and it definitely exceeded that,” he said.
“I speak to Odsonne all the time. I spoke to him after both legs and he was asking about how much I enjoyed it, how special it is and stuff.
“So yeah, it was special, for sure.”
