Former Celtic defender Christopher Jullien has reflected on his departure from the club and the differences between working under Neil Lennon and Ange Postecoglou during his time at the Hoops.
His impact in that first year made him a fan favourite, but his Celtic career was halted by a major knee injury during a 3–0 win over Dundee United on December 30, 2020. While trying to clear the ball off the line, Jullien collided with the post, injuring his knee badly and forcing him off the field.
The injury came after a tough period for Jullien, who had already missed several months earlier in the year due to a back problem. His setbacks made the 2020-2021 season particularly challenging, but he worked hard to recover and make a comeback.
Jullien finally returned to the pitch on February 21, 2022, after 409 days of recovery. Celtic supporters gave him a heartfelt standing ovation as he made his first appearance since the injury. However, after a few more difficult months, he left Celtic in August 2022, moving to Montpellier HSC in France for a fee of around £850,000, ending his three-year stint at Celtic.
With Jullien opening up on Ange Postecoglou’s first season at Celtic before his departure.
He said: (TCW), “The thing is, though, Celtic were playing unstoppable and unbelievable football when I was making my way back. Some people were saying to me that I should go and see the manager and talk to him, to know why I was not playing or what I could do to get on the team. I heard them, but I asked them ‘Did you see the team playing this weekend? What can I do? Why would the manager change a team that is winning?’
“They were crushing everyone, and it was crazy.
“I think Neil (Lennon) was a bit closer to his players. Ange was a little less close to his player, but his way of playing, the way he coached, was really good.
“He made me learn some stuff, some crazy stuff about the position, everything about the pitch, how we wanted to play, how we want to attack and how we want to defend. I learned so much from Ange Postecoglou.“
Despite failing to break his way into the starting XI under Ange, Jullien was clearly impressed with the Australian’s unusual training style, something that defenders aren’t always asked to do.
Jullien’s Celtic career would end in a way that not many would have foreseen after his first season, and ultimately, his dedication to stopping a goal from crossing the line cost him his place in the team, as the serious knee injury sidelined him for an extended period.
