"I don't care": Celtic flop reveals key reason for tough Parkhead stint ahead of Europa League return

Former Celtic goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas has lifted the lid on the difficulties he faced during his ill-fated two-year stint at Parkhead ahead of his return with FC Utrecht in the Europa League on Thursday night.

Having revived his career with the Eredivisie side, the 31-year-old stopper returns to Scotland for the first time since his exit almost four years ago, and has revealed the reasons why he felt he struggled to adapt to life in Glasgow, but insisted he has “no regrets” about his decision to join Celtic.

Signing for the Scottish Champions in the summer of 2020 for a fee of £5million from AEK Athens, the Greece international struggled for form upon his arrival at Parkhead and soon lost his place to Scott Bain after a number of error-strewn performances. After struggling to dislodge the Scottish goalkeeper - and latterly Joe Hart - he left the club to move to the Netherlands, originally on loan, just two years after his big money arrival.

Barkas struggled to impress during his time year spell with Celtic. | Getty Images

"No regrets, no, because you always learn a lesson," said Barkas. "Of course, I came in a difficult period here. It was a fast choice, I can say, and yeah, from Greece to come here, different weather etc. I think the biggest problem was the Covid period, I never came together with my teammates, and to be honest, I never met the country 100 per cent, so yeah, I don't regret it, of course. My son was born here.

“It was poor, but I think it wasn't only me who wasn't at a high level. I have nothing to prove to anyone. I'm here to help my team. I don't care about what the others think about me, you know? So yeah, I'm here to help my team."

While a win would secure a last-32 playoff spot for Celtic in the competition, Ron Jans’ side enters the clash still looking for their first win in the Europa League this season. Having failed to win any of their seven League Phase games, the Dutch outfit has only pride to play for. However, the experienced stopper is looking forward to the game and the chance to play in front of a crowd at Celtic Park, having played much of his football in Glasgow without one during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“When I played for Celtic, it was Covid, it was an empty stadium," Barkas explained. "But I played once again with a Greek club, so yeah, there is an amazing atmosphere. It's 60,000, right? The atmosphere is really nice, so it will be nice to play for everyone. I think it's quite unique, the atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Celtic’s top goalscorer, Benjamin Nygren, has insisted that the Europa League is not a distraction for the club amid their battle for the Scottish Premiership title. Currently third in the table and six points behind league leaders Hearts, the Hoops can still claim a spot in the knockout stages of the competition, while their title rivals have no European fixtures to contend with in the second half of the campaign.

“I think every competition we're in is very important," said Nygren. We want to do well in every competition we're in. Celtic is a massive club and a massive club should be and do well in more competitions than just the league.

The former Celtic stopper has revived his career in the Netherlands. | ANP/AFP via Getty Images

"It's very important. I said it before I came here. I think Celtic has everything. Everyone in the world, almost everyone, knows about Celtic. Since I was a kid I wanted to play in European competition and you always want to go as far as possible and win the tournament you're in."

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