Gutted former Celtic hero hopes for 'change' at boyhood club after controversial decision
Bournemouth midfielder Ryan Christie is currently with the Scotland camp and looks set to be heading to the Euros in Germany.
Former Celtic midfielder Ryan Christie has commented on boyhood club Inverness Caledonian Thistle’s controversial decision to move their training ground 135 miles away from the Highland capital.
The Bournemouth star grew up in the city and came through the youth ranks at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium before helping them win their first ever major trophy - the 2014/15 Scottish Cup. He earned a move to Celtic and, after loan spells back at ICT and then at Aberdeen, he returned to Glasgow’s east end as a first team regular for the remainder of his time there before moving to the Premier League with the Cherries in 2021.
Inverness CT, who were relegated to League One following their play-off defeat to Hamilton Accies, have faced a massive backlash from their fanbase and local community after announcing they had struck a deal with fellow League One club Kelty Hearts to use their training facilities on a daily basis. The decision was taken to help them attract players based in the central belt and, although the club insist they remain committed to developing young players in the north of Scotland, it has proved to be a very unpopular move.
Speaking on the decision, Christie said: “ By moving away, you lose the sense of community. That step alone makes it feel like less of a club from Inverness. You're getting to the point that the only thing that links the first team with Inverness is two home matches a month, and Inverness being written on the badge.
"It's pretty gutting. There was talk of a restructuring, but I think the fans had something different in mind. Reading the club's statement, it comes across like our whereabouts is almost a hindrance, instead of something that should be the sole focus of the club like I think it should.
"It's still all very up in the air. I don't know what the next steps will be. You can only hope that there is some sort of change to the thought process and something a bit more positive comes."