Jagiellonia Bialystok skipper Taras Romanczuk has revealed that former Celtic defender Yuki Kobayashi never crossed the Clyde his spell in Scotland.
At the time of writing, Kobayashi is now up against the Ibrox club once again, with Jagiellonia hosting Rangers just now in the first leg of their Europa League third qualifying round clash.
The Japanese centre-back featured seven times for Celtic following his arrival under Ange Postecoglou in 2023, including a full appearance in a Glasgow Derby meeting at Ibrox.
Romanczuk admitted Kobayashi had shared an amusing insight into life in Glasgow while discussing Rangers ahead of the tie.
Speaking to the Daily Record, Romanczuk said: “He mainly said that he never crossed the river in Glasgow.
“He told us there’s a river running through the city.
“On one side is Celtic territory and the other is Rangers. And he never crossed that river!
“But we’ve watched the video; we’re prepared. We can analyse everything, but in the end, it all comes down to what happens on the pitch.
“Whoever plays well tactically, strong in the duels, will win.”
Kobayashi completed his move to Celtic from Vissel Kobe towards the end of 2022 and made his debut in a convincing league victory over St Mirren the following January.
Although he collected a treble winners’ medal during Postecoglou’s final campaign, the defender was unable to cement a regular place in the side despite arriving during the club’s successful recruitment drive from Japan.
Comfortable in possession and technically accomplished, Kobayashi found adapting to the physical intensity of the Scottish game difficult.
His Hoops spell came to an end in January 2024 when he joined Portuguese outfit Portimonense, where he briefly shared a dressing room with current Celtic forward Camilo Duran.
The 24-year-old moved to Jagiellonia Bialystok last summer and went on to make 23 appearances as the Polish club secured qualification for this season’s Europa League, while also featuring six times in their Conference League run.
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