Michel-Ange Balikwisha has accused Celtic of ruining his World Cup dream by refusing him a loan last season, and revealed he wanted to be substituted after just ten minutes of his first Old Firm match against Rangers because he could not handle the pace of the game.
The Congo international, now on loan at Belgian club Gent, scored his first goal for 14 months at the weekend against Zulte Waregem, a side managed by former Rangers boss Michael Beale. He is desperate for Gent to make the move permanent, believing he could be sold on for "up to £20 million."
A nightmare spell in Glasgow
Balikwisha was signed by ex-Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers in a £5million swoop last summer but failed to score in 13 appearances for the Hoops before being dropped entirely after Martin O'Neill took charge.
In an interview in Belgium, he described his difficult time in Glasgow. "I played in the African Cup of Nations with Congo and when I returned, Wilfried Nancy was gone and Celtic were playing a catch-up race in the league," he said.
"Martin O'Neill didn't want me in his squad anymore. It was as if I was paying the price for being away. But I wasn't the only one who wasn't playing."
World Cup hopes dashed
A three-month loan deal from the MLS was offered, but ultimately Celtic refused the loan. "That was when I knew immediately the World Cup was gone for me," Balikwisha said. "That hurt because I had contributed to Congo's qualification. But life doesn't stop and I hope there will be more World Cups for me."
He added: "My girlfriend and daughters were having a hard time in Glasgow too. If they are unhappy, so am I."
Physical demands of Scottish football
The 25-year-old said he was unprepared for the intensity of Scottish football. "When I left Royal Antwerp to sign for Celtic, the manager Mark van Bommel told me I would be flying in Scotland," he said. "But it turned out I wasn't physically ready for Celtic. It's four times more intense than it is in Belgium."
"In my first match against Rangers, I wanted to ask to be substituted after ten minutes. It is sprint after sprint after sprint, even after a throw-in. My thighs caught fire. Every training session is like a match."
He also described the demanding training under Martin O'Neill. "Martin O'Neill forced the strikers to make extra runs. I was already knocked out, but after that I was in the dressing room stone dead!" he said. "There was a teammate who thought he was going to die - he had to go to hospital for a check-up!"
Hoping for a permanent move
Balikwisha hopes Gent will exercise their purchase option so they can sell him on. "If I perform well here, everyone wins," he said. "Myself, the manager Rik De Mil, who brought me back to the top and then Gent, who can make money off me. I think that is the goal as well."
"If Gent exercises the option, they can immediately resell me for £15-20 million. Everyone would be happy. We are commodities and I have no problem accepting that, as long as our work is rewarded."
He said money is not his main concern when choosing a club. "But money isn't the thing that I look at when I decide to sign somewhere - it's whether I can play there," he said. "That was my goal when I played as a kid on a Saturday morning and still is now."
