Celtic star Christopher Jullien has opened up on his return to action last weekend when he was a second-half substitute for Ange Postecoglou’s side in the 4-0 win over Raith Rovers.
The 28-year old defender has been missing from action for just over a year, having picked up a serious knee injury in the final fixture of 2020 in Celtic’s 3-0 victory over Dundee United.
Speaking to Celtic TV, it was a long road to recovery for the Frenchman, but he was left ’emotional’ due to the reception received by the Parkhead crowd.
“I didn’t expect that ovation at all. When you work for 409 days, you just go day-by-day and don’t think about the end goal.
“To get my feet on the pitch made me emotional, and I thank everyone for the warm welcome back.
“That moment was amazing, my family was there, and I was not expecting to come on.
“I’ve just been working every day in training and seeing how it goes, but this welcome is something I will never forget it.
“That injury was something else. The trauma my knee had was really difficult, and I then had a nine or 10-month wait before I could even touch a ball again – that’s indescribable. I’m at the end of the tunnel now, and I hope I will feel good for the rest of my life.”
As Jullien mentions, it will have been an incredibly tough 12 months or so for the big defender after such a severe injury to his knee.
The Celtic support were delighted to welcome him back onto the field at Parkhead, having waited so long to be back out with his teammates in the Green and White.
Hopefully, this can provide as extra motivation for Jullien, who will be desperate to get back to his best and be a key option for Ange Postecoglou’s backline over the next few months.
