Former Celtic striker Carlton Cole has revealed he loved his time at Parkhead, even if he wasn't thrilled by Ronny Deila's tactics.
The ex-England internationalist spent eight months in Glasgow, having initially signed a two-year deal at Celtic.
Cole has explained he had to prove his fitness before landing a deal, but was then left unimpressed by being used in an unfamiliar role.
Instead of operating as a target man, as he had done for his career, Cole revealed he was tasked with running the channels under Deila at Celtic.
Cole told Boyle Sports who offer the latest football odds: "I went to Celtic after a holiday and wasn't at my fittest. I had a stop-start time there, and they wanted me to prove my fitness for a contract. As I was getting fit and about to join the team, my calf went, setting me back another month and a half, two months.
“I hadn't really been injured before, certainly never had a calf muscle tear, so it was disappointing. My debut was quite late that season.
“I was determined to get back and eventually signed, albeit on a lesser contract, because I wanted to play for that club and prove I still had it. However, the manager, Ronny Deila, was asking me to run the channels, which I couldn't do as a target man at that stage of my career.
“I played only five games under him, and while he did get sacked that season even after we'd won the league, I wasn't happy with what he was asking me to do. I wondered why he'd signed me if he didn't know what kind of player I was."
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The trying period on the pitch for Cole didn't dampen his experience at Celtic, though.
“Despite this," he continued. "I loved the people at Celtic. The playing staff were brilliant, and the backroom staff were unbelievable, making me feel very welcome. I had a good time there."
Cole met with Deila last year while in Atlanta and discussed their time together at Celtic - as he revealed his dislike is firmly in the past.
“I met Ronny Deila in Atlanta last season, and we had a good discussion about my time at Celtic. It's like meeting an ex-gaffer after your career; everything's more settled, and you don't have those bad vibes anymore. Although I felt he messed me up at the time, I've had time to move past that dislike.
“When I spoke to him, he was good as gold, even asked me to dinner. You realise we all have different experiences, and you have to understand the extreme pressures at elite level.
“People make weird decisions at wrong times and might treat you differently than they would in another job."
