Perrier-Dounbe slates Strachan

Published on Thursday 25 June 2009 22:20

OUTGOING Celtic defender Jean-Joel Perrier-Doumbe has lambasted former manager Gordon Strachan, blaming him for a difficult final season in Glasgow, writes Angus Wright.

Perrier-Doumbe will leave Celtic after coming to the end of his contract and he admits it has been an unhappy time.

The former Rennes player was a regular during his loan spell at the club in the first half of 2007, and his displays persuaded Celtic to sign him on a permanent basis that summer. Perrier-Doumbe found himself sidelined soon after coming back from five months out with an Achilles injury and the 30-year-old has lashed out at Strachan, who resigned last month.

"I have mixed feelings about my time at Celtic," Perrier-Doumbe told France Football. "At the beginning, I was a regular starter in the league, in the Champions League, I scored the goal in the Scottish Cup final.

"Everything was going well. Then I got injured against AC Milan in October, I came back fine before the manager gave me a really hard time.

"Last summer, I asked to leave when the club signed Andreas Hinkel. The manager categorically refused. He never played me again.

"Did I annoy him when I asked to leave? I don't know.

"I tried my luck again in January, because I had interest from Norwich and Coventry for loan spells, also in Hungary, at Ujpest.

"Again the manager refused. Outcome – I spent my season on the bench."

Perrier-Doumbe claims Greek club Larissa, German side Freiburg and two Ligue 2 clubs in France have enquired about his services.