Peterborough United boss Darren Ferguson has opened up to the Peterborough Evening Telegraph on how Lee Tomlin reacted with rage when he was denied a move to Celtic in 2013.
Celtic came in for Tomlin seven years ago, and the player desperately tried to force through a move to Parkhead.
In the end the transfer didn’t take place, but Celtic’s conduct throughout the saga did unsettle the attacking midfielder.
And Ferguson still feels that Celtic’s approach deserves some criticism.
“One morning (in 2013) he rang me on the Saturday morning before a game and said he wanted to go to Celtic,” Ferguson said.
“They’d made a bid for him and he knew it. The players usually reported for work two hours before a game, but Lee was at the ground early and came over to see me in the gym and demanded to leave.
“I said he couldn’t as Celtic had only bid buttons. He wasn’t happy, but said he was okay to play that afternoon. He wasn’t so I took him off at half-time and we lost. Lee then came to see me in my office and I repeated he couldn’t leave as Celtic’s bid hadn’t been accepted.
“He didn’t take this well. He smashed something in my office, slammed a few doors and stormed out saying I was a disgrace and he would never play for me again! An hour later he rang me to apologise which was typical of him.
“Celtic behaved badly back then. For a club of their size to keep making bids while we were playing a game was poor.”
Tomlin could have been an appealing addition for Celtic if the transfer had taken place, as he is a wonderful natural talent.
The attacking midfielder’s professionalism and fitness levels have been called into question before, but his skill on the ball has never been in doubt.
After missing out on a move to Celtic, Tomlin actually signed for Middlesbrough and he has gone on to play for the likes of Bournemouth, Bristol City and, most recently, Cardiff City.
Tomlin has actually enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career over the past campaign, where he has claimed eight goals and 10 assists.
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