The emotional Celtic transfer exit reason behind summer departure as player admits why he had to leave Parkhead
Former Hoops goalkeeper outlines the ‘big’ off-field reason behind his decision to leave the Premiership champions
Scott Bain has revealed the three main factors behind his decision to swap Premiership champions Celtic for newly-promoted Falkirk after bringing the curtain down on his seven-year stay at Parkhead earlier this month.
The 33-year-old goalkeeper - formerly of Hibs and Dundee - opted to head for pastures new this summer, despite still having 12 months left on his Hoops contract. He had fallen out of the picture with Kasper Schmeichel and Viljami Sinisalo both ahead of him in the pecking order.
Now, the ex-Scotland international has detailed why he elected to depart Celtic a year earlier than anticipated after signing for John McGlynn’s Bairns on a one-year contract.
He revealed the biggest motivation is having his son and wife-to-be watching him play regular first-team football again after a lengthy period on the bench or watching on from the stands, while also cited McGlynn’s influence and how well the club is run for opting to join Falkirk.
Speaking to STV Sport, he said: “I think I was getting to the age now, where if I stayed on at Celtic for another year, as much as I loved being there and loved the club, I would have been another year older and it would have been harder to get back to playing regular football.
“A big thing for me was for my fiancé and little boy potentially getting the chance to come and watch me play, which will be a different experience for them than it’s been for the last couple of years.
“So that was a big factor, as was getting the chance to come to Falkirk and work under the manager and the staff here. Seeing how well the club is run, was another big factor in me coming here.”
What impact did Scott Bain have at Celtic?
Bain made the move to Parkhead from Dundee back in 2018 following a successful loan stint during the previous campaign under Brendan Rodgers. He would go on to spend over six years in Glasgow’s east end, making 78 appearances across all competitions and playing his part in winning 14 major honours, including seven league titles, a historic quadruple-treble, four League Cups and three Scottish Cups.
He arrives at Falkirk with vast experience as they gear up for their first season back in the top-flight for 15 years. It’s expected his vacated spot as Celtic’s No.3 shot-stopper will be filled by Ross Doohan after leaving Aberdeen upon the expiry of his contract.