Shay Given comments on Celtic star Dedryck Boyata.
Shay Given has told The Scottish Sun that he feels sympathy for Celtic defender Dedryck Boyata for the amount of injuries that he has suffered in recent seasons.
According to Transfermarkt, Boyata, a £1.5 million signing from Manchester City in 2015 (according to The Scottish Sun), has missed 199 days for Celtic from five different injuries, the equivalent of 49 matches.
The Belgian centre-back has been fit since September after recovering from the knee problem that sidelined him for the Hoops’ Champions League qualifiers during the summer.
And Given, who played alongside the 27-year-old at the Etihad Stadium, admits that he feels sorry for his old team-mate for his injury struggles.
He told The Scottish Sun: “He’s had his fair share of injuries and I’ve had a lot of sympathy for Dedryck.
“Now, though, he’s showing how good he is and I’m delighted for him. I was probably shouting the head off him when I was the City keeper!
“But that was the case with any defender — they all get the same off me. I just tried to help and guide Dedryck. At City he was the same calm, composed defender and very comfortable on the ball, as he is at Celtic.”
Boyata has come in for a bit of stick off Celtic fans in recent weeks but it’s clear that he and Jozo Simunovic are Brendan Rodgers’s best two centre-halves – for now anyway.
There is a rumour doing the rounds that the Northern Irishman is interested in signing Marvin Compper – according to The Daily Mail – and the 32-year-old RB Leipzig defender would certainly represent strong competition for both of those two.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
