Paulo Bernardo has opened the door to a potential Celtic return after reflecting on the circumstances behind his summer departure from Parkhead.
The Portuguese midfielder joined Polish side Gornik Zabrze on loan with an option to buy after struggling for regular football under Martin O’Neill last season.
Bernardo had also found consistent minutes difficult to come by under Brendan Rodgers, and the 24-year-old believes his lack of a sustained run in the Celtic team ultimately contributed to his decision to leave.
Explaining his discussions with O’Neill before completing the move, Bernardo told The Herald: “I spoke to him the last days that the deal was almost done. I had the conversation with him, and I told him I needed to play football, and I don’t think in Celtic right now I would have the game time that I needed.
“He was very open with me, and he totally understood. He opened the doors for me to go, and he was very honest as well. He told me that it was probably the best for me to come here and have game time.
“In the beginning of the season, with the signing of other players, I started to play more as a six and not as my initial position when I joined Celtic. I think that was one of the key facts. I think in Celtic I never got the consistency to play in a run of games.
“It was always one or two and then bench again. Then maybe one start and then one bench. I think for me, I never got the consistency. For me, I think that was the problem at Celtic.
“I started to play in a more deep role. I’m not that comfortable there, and I don’t like it that much. I think that was it last season.
“I always loved my time at Celtic. The football last season, I didn’t enjoy that much because I didn’t play, but I was very happy for me and my team to win the championship in that part of the season was amazing, and the cup. I will always love Celtic. I think it’s one of the biggest clubs in the world.
“I think the people that work there and the people in Glasgow that I always talked to since I joined, they were always very friendly and kind to me. It’s a place that feels almost like Lisbon, like home for me and my partner, who came with me all the time. I’ll be happy to join Celtic again.
“I don’t know – I will fight always for my place, but you never know in these situations. I don’t have any regrets to join Celtic or I don’t have any problems to join Celtic again.”
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