You’ve had your time Giorgos, there’s now no chance of a Celtic return

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The Celtic Star

·20 Mei 2025

You’ve had your time Giorgos, there’s now no chance of a Celtic return

Former Celtic striker Giorgos Giakoumakis has spoke of Celtic with great fondness and even suggested that he would love a return to the club if the chance ever arose in a new interview…

Celtic’s Greek striker Giorgos Giakoumakis applauds supporters at the end of the UEFA Champions League Group F football match between Celtic FC and Shakhtar Donetsk, at the Celtic Park stadium in Glasgow, on October 25, 2022. – Celtic FC and Shakhtar Donetsk equlized 1 – 1. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images)

However I think he knows deep down that his chances are slim and to be fair to the Greek international he also acknowledged that in the same interview, which is full of biased reflections that don’t seem to match up to reality.

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Giorgos was a terrific player during his spell in Glasgow and I think it’s fair to say that he was unlucky with his starting chances under Ange Postecoglou which were very limited to say the least.

That was all down to the form of Kyogo and the Greek striker had no other option than to bide his time and wait for an opportunity for a regular start which sadly for him never materialised. Kyogo was Ange’s main signing, a player he knew that could do a job or him and he had plenty resting in his own decision personally, as failing at Celtic would have closed the door on him as far as European football was concerned.

Gorgios Giakoumakis scores a stoppage time winner against St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park, Perth on 8 October 2022. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Ange had just missed out on the AEK Athens when Eddie Howe knocked back Celtic at the eleventh hour and Mark Lawwell’s recommendation to his dad at the dinner table set off a chain of events that let to the Greek/Australian getting offered the Celtic job.

Ange certainly rated Giakoumakis but judged him number two in the pecking order and that was an easier decision to make because Giorgos missed out in the early part of the season through injury. Didn’t he get injured in a warm-up too?

Giorgos eventually decided to take his career elsewhere as was his right, and he made the move across the pond and signed for MLS side Atlanta United, where he performed well.

Giorgos Giakoumakis of Celtic celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Cinch Scottish Premiership match between Celtic FC and St. Johnstone FC at on October 23, 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The Greek striker who now plays for Cruz Azul in Mexico is still a decent striker but at 30 his best days are now firmly by him and a move to Celtic is very much out the question. You did us a good turn Giorgos but you’ve had your time in the Hoops.

And your recollections about the contract discussions with Celtic will certainly not be shared by those at Celtic involved, who will have detailed minutes, and even of there was any option to re-sign you, that interview will have killed it stone dead. You probably know that already? Interview is on Daily Record for those who want to read it.

Here are some of the quotes from the former Celtic striker Giorgos Giakoumakis

“Only the fans showed me the love they had for me, the song they were singing for me, and all the support. Honestly, it was because of them. I was getting the love from somewhere and that made me deliver.”

“The relegation with VVV-Venlo affected me a lot. Imagine scoring 29 goals and then you don’t have any offers from any other team until August 26. Eventually, when Celtic realised that, ‘All he has is us’, they really took advantage of it.

VENLO – Georgios Giakoumakis or VVV-Venlo during the Dutch Eredivisie match between VVV-Venlo and FC Groningen at the Covebo stadium De Koel on April 3, 2021 in Venlo, The Netherlands. ANP JEROEN PUTMANS

“I had a ridiculous contract and then they told me when I signed, ‘Well, if you prove yourself, we’re going to sit down in summer and give you what you deserve’.

“But of course, that was a lie to bring me there. And when I ended up top scorer, winning the league, they bought me only for £2.5m, you feel like, ‘Ok, I proved myself. I did my part. Now let’s do yours’.

“So I talked to them and I said, ‘Listen, you need to give me what I deserve.’ And then they just offered me like £1,000 more per week. That was the offer they made to me.

“And I said, ‘Okay, obviously it’s not £1k more. It’s like you are messing around and you don’t appreciate me’. And at this time, I said, ‘Don’t even make any other offer because I feel disrespected and you didn’t appreciate what I gave for the team and for the fans. The connections I had, I don’t care anymore. I am done with you, name a price, I’m leaving.”

Michael Nicholson, Chief Executive of Celtic FC looks on from the stands prior to the William Hill Premiership match between Celtic FC and St Mirren FC at Celtic Park on May 17, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

“I think the relationship between me, Michael (Nicholson) and Ange in the end was really fragile. It was really fragile and I think at some point it just broke the glass.”

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