At the reunion last week in Amsterdam, Jeremie Frimpong enjoyed catching up with his old Celtic colleagues.
And now that Calum McGregor is back in business, the former hoops star is certain that the good times will keep on at his old club. The Dutch star Frimpong faced some old friends last week when they defeated Scotland 4-0 in a friendly match. The full back was overjoyed to recreate his trophy victory at Celts, where he now plays for Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. However, he believes that McGregor’s return—who was absent from the trip to the Netherlands—will guarantee additional hardware this year.
“Seeing some familiar faces was great,” Frimpong said. Speaking with Tony Ralston, Craig Gordon, Greg Taylor, and Ryan Christie was pleasant. It was pleasant to discuss our past achievements and happy moments. Some of them are still at the club, but I know that a number of them have also departed. I continue to check in with them because I think they have what it takes to have a great season finale.
“There are still guys there like Callum. Scott Brown led us at the club while I was a member. However, Callum was standing immediately next him. I was inspired by a handful of the great guys who were in that dressing room. Since I was fresh to everything, it was impressive to see how experienced they were. They were great both on and off the field; they welcomed me and offered me guidance.
Frimpong wasn’t shocked when McGregor threw off the captain’s armband since the midfield player was Brown’s clear heir. “I knew Callum would be the captain after Scott,” the Dutch celebrity said. Everyone was aware of it. Given that he had every quality a captain should have, I believe it was very evident. Not the same as me! There’s no way I could be captain!
“However, Callum excels both on and off the field. It comes as no surprise that he went on to become a successful Celtic captain and win the league title and the Treble the previous year. He is a huge asset to the squad, and I have no doubt that if he returns for the remaining games, he can help them win more trophies.
Even though Frimpong was only at Glasgow for eighteen months, his stint there had a significant influence on the fullback’s rampaging tendencies prior to his £11.5 million transfer to Germany. Furthermore, he believes that the present generation of Celtic possibilities need to seize their significant opportunity.
“I’m so grateful for my time at Celtic,” Frimpong said. They made my big break possible. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to play for Bayer Leverkusen or go to Germany for the summer’s European Championship. I had such a great day at Celtic. We won the Triple Crown in my first season. Ryan and I were discussing our recollections there.
“I have unforgettable memories from my time spent in Scotland. I will always be appreciative to Celtic, particularly the supporters and their kind welcome. They really embraced me. I would simply say that Celtic is an amazing environment to play football, and I know that there are some young guys there right now.
While Frimpong maintains an eye on his former team, Celtic supporters are also keeping a careful eye on his career. The 23-year-old has been linked to lucrative transfers to England, which could earn the Hoops a hefty payout from their sell-on clause. Bayer Leverkusen holds a 10-point league lead over Bayern Munich thanks to the young player’s remarkable play.
He dismissed rumors that he was planning to give his former team additional money with a grin, saying, “I don’t know about that! When you play football well, people seem to be talking about where you may go next or if you’re going to stay around.
“Leverkusen and the contests we are still in are my main priorities. We have a great chance of winning them. For my club, it’s an exciting moment. With eight games remaining, it will be challenging, but we’re going to give it our all until the conclusion of the season.
Just months after leaving, Frimpong faced Ange Postecoglou’s Celts in the Europa League, and he would love to return to Parkhead in the Champions League. “It would be perfect to go back there in the Champions League,” said the agile full back.
“It was great to be back where it all began when I played for Leverkusen in the Europa League and I went back to Celtic.” Even though I was playing against them, I still received a warm greeting, which was unique. It would be particularly memorable to be in the same group as Celtic, who you always want to see in the Champions League.
Frimpong, who believes the Tartan Army shouldn’t be too concerned about the Euros despite recent losses, also liked playing Scotland on Friday. “It was a really good game against Scotland,” he said. They set us a difficult task. Especially in the first half, they were excellent. It was a test for us, so we had to work hard.
Scotland is a valuable team. We have a formidable team, and winning the Euros is our main goal. We are aware that there are many excellent teams, therefore the work won’t be simple at all. It will be challenging but also exhilarating. Scotland should also be happy as they have a lot of potential there.
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