John Hartson admits he was "hurt and disappointed" after criticism from Neil Lennon as he insists the Dubai fallout is just a distraction.
The former Celtic striker criticised his former team-mate after a 0-0 draw with Livingston and reluctantly stated it was time for change in the dugout.
As part of his now infamous press conference on Monday Lennon hit back, insisting the Welshman's opinion "means nothing" to him as he hit out at "people on the periphery of the game".
The pair enjoyed huge success as Celtic players and Hartson admits he was stung by his old pal's words.
He told the Scottish Sun: "Neil said my opinion doesn’t matter to him and that’s up to him.
“But I was only giving my honest opinion on how things are at Celtic.
“To be honest, I’m hurt and disappointed that he’s chosen to come out and have a go at me. Listen, he’s clearly a man under severe pressure so it’s maybe understandable.
“He’s only human and it must be difficult to handle everything that’s going on right now. But he’s got to know that I wasn’t having any personal dig at him. Far from it, because I’ve been arguably his biggest supporter down the years."
Lennon's sideswipe at Hartson came as part of a furious defence of Celtic's decision to head to Dubai for a mid-season training camp.
And his former team-mate believes that provided a welcome distraction with Rangers 21 points clear.
Hartson said: "For me the whole Dubai thing is distracting from the real issue and that’s about Celtic being 21 points behind Rangers.
“That’s why Neil is under pressure more than anything.
“The Dubai issue is a sideshow, it’s not the key thing in my mind.
“And I’d say that’s how the vast majority of Celtic supporters feel about it too.
"They were shouting for change long before that trip was arranged.
“They have lost all faith in Neil because of performances and the results on the pitch.
“That’s the be-all and end-all for the fans this season when they’ve been dreaming of winning ten in a row for so long.
“Maybe that’s why Neil spent Monday talking so much about Dubai. It took all the attention away from the back-to-back draws against Hibs and Livingston.”
