Liel Abada admits he lost a Celtic ‘big brother’ in Nir Bitton after the midfielder left the club in the summer.
Bitton called time on his Parkhead career after nearly a decade wearing the Hoops and winning trophies. The experienced Israeli international was vital in helping Abada settle in Glasgow after making a move from Maccabi Petah Tikva last summer in a £3.6million deal.
The duo formed a close bond on and off the pitch as Abada adapted to life at the Scottish champions, helping them lift the Premier Sports Cup and take the title back from Rangers with 15 goals and 11 assists in 54 appearances, including a clinching strike as the Hoops routed their rivals 3-0 in January. But he’s now having to get used to life at Celtic without his mate, who returned to his homeland in order to sign for Maccabi Tel Aviv on a free transfer.
"I think Niro... he's like a big brother for me,” said Abada. “I can speak with him about everything. He helped me a lot here last season with everything. Now we speak a lot also on Facetime. I wish him all the best and all of the family. I really love him, and I miss him."
Abada is preparing to make his bow in the Champions League this season. The title success under Ange postecoglou catapulted Celtic straight into the group stage of the competition, having been knocked out in the qualifiers last season by FC Midtjylland.
There’s also the small matter of £40million being injected into the Celtic Park coffers as a result. But Abada is only interested in what it means for him on the park and admits it’s a dream come true to be dining at Europe’s top table after watching on TV as a kid.
"I think this is a dream come true for me,” he told Celtic TV. “When I started playing football, I just thought about the Champions League. I watched the Champions League on TV. I saw the best players in the Champions League and I think this is a good opportunity for us. Hopefully we'll do good games in the Champions League."
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