Adam Matthews left Celtic in 2015 after four years at the club. He had joined in 2011 and played a key role in a successful period for the team, winning league titles and competing in Europe. But as his contract entered its final year, the club chose to sell him. Ronny Deila was in charge at the time and had started to prefer Mikael Lustig at right-back.

Celtic accepted an offer from Sunderland, a move that surprised Matthews. While playing in the Premier League was a new challenge, leaving Celtic wasn’t something he had planned. He said he had been in early talks about a new contract, but those discussions didn’t go anywhere. Instead, he found himself on the way out, with little time to think about the decision.

Looking back, Matthews made it clear he would have liked to stay. He spoke well of Lustig and respected the manager’s choice, but admitted he wasn’t ready to leave.

Later, in 2019, when Neil Lennon returned as manager, there was some interest in bringing Matthews back. The move didn’t happen, but Matthews said he would have jumped at the chance.

He said: (RecordSport), “I didn’t particularly want to leave, to be honest. I wasn’t the number one choice. I think Ronny preferred [Mikael] Lustig, which is fair enough. Lustig’s a brilliant player and he’s done really well for Celtic. So, it’s not that I wanted to leave.

“Obviously, Sunderland came in and it was a new challenge in the Premier League. So, it seemed like the right time to move, even though I wasn’t looking to move.

“It happened quite quickly, to be honest. I went home one day, fell asleep on the sofa, woke up, and had missed calls with my agent saying Celtic have accepted a bid.

“And I was straight down there. So, it happened quite quickly. I didn’t have much time to think about it. But it’s not like I wanted to leave Celtic. I loved my time there. So, it was a little bit bittersweet, really. I wasn’t buzzing to go, you know what I mean?

“I spoke to Ronny a couple of days before Sunderland came in and he said they were expecting an offer to come in. I told him then I wasn’t looking to leave. We were half discussing the new contract with Celtic, which didn’t materialise.”

Matthews had a strong connection with Celtic. He came into the side as a young player and grew into an important part of the squad. His pace and drive down the right made him a favourite for many fans. He played under Neil Lennon and helped the team dominate the league during that spell.

But in football, things move fast. With new players coming in and managers making changes, some players lose their place. That’s what happened with Matthews. Lustig became first choice, and Matthews was left looking at his options, even if he didn’t want to go.

The move to Sunderland offered a different kind of test. The Premier League was more competitive and the pressure was high. But even as he left, Matthews never hid how much Celtic meant to him. The way his exit happened, so quickly and with no time to consider other options, clearly still plays on his mind.

When Lennon showed interest in 2019, it seemed like the door might open again. But no deal was done, and Matthews moved on. Still, his words show a deep respect and love for the club, and a clear sense of unfinished business that sadly won’t be finished.