Sead Haksabanovic has finally secured his deadline-day move to Stoke City on a season-long loan, but not without leaving a trail of controversy in his wake.

The midfielder’s recent comments, painting his time at Celtic as a resounding success, are disingenuous at best. Haksabanovic stated, “I came from a club with one of the biggest fanbases in the world. If you can do it there, you can do it here as well.” he told Stokes Youtube channel.

We understand the player’s need to put himself over with his loan club, however, Haksabanovic showed flashes of promise at Celtic, but never enough to warrant a consistent run in the team. His technical skills and flair were evident, but they were sporadic moments rather than sustained brilliance. At a club like Celtic, where the standards are sky-high and the competition for places is fierce, that simply isn’t good enough.

His move to Stoke was expedited after he decided to air his grievances on Twitter, just days after Celtic’s disappointing home draw against St Johnstone. Coming on as a second-half substitute, Haksabanovic failed to turn the tide in a match that should have been a routine win for the Hoops. It’s one thing to be frustrated with a lack of playing time, but it’s another to publicly undermine the team’s efforts.

It’s no surprise that the club was keen to offload him, and Stoke City’s loan offer provided the perfect exit strategy.

As Haksabanovic embarks on his new journey, one can only hope he takes some lessons from his time at Celtic. Talent alone isn’t enough; it’s the willingness to put the team first that truly makes a player great. And while he may believe that “if you can do it at Celtic, you can do it at Stoke,” the reality is that he never quite did it at Celtic in the first place.