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There is some disagreement between who exactly broke up with whom, but Ipswich Town’s free-scoring playmaker Bersant Celina seems keen to ensure there is no love lost when he comes back to the Macron on Saturday.
The Manchester City winger was seemingly embroiled in a summer fling with Wanderers back in June, openly admitting his eagerness to sign for the club on loan.
“I think it would be a good club for me,” said the Kosovan, days after peppering Instagram with a series of pictures from his tour around the Macron. “It is a club that deserves to be in the Championship or Premier League.”
A few weeks later Celina had moved on to his next suitor, Mick McCarthy’s Ipswich Town, with Wanderers apparently unable to agree terms with his parent club over appearance fees.
Celina will be in town again tomorrow looking to show Phil Parkinson what he is missing out on, and the midfielder chose to spice up the occasion by claiming it had been his decision to make the move to Suffolk.
“There was a choice, Ipswich or Bolton, and I chose to move to Ipswich,” he said this week.
“It was definitely a good choice for me and I’m really enjoying my football here. Hopefully I can go and score against Bolton as well.”
It is fair to say Celina took time to endear himself to McCarthy – not renowned as one of football’s romantics – and much to the Town fans’ chagrin, he spent much of the first few months of the season consigned to the bench.
It was with a bright second-half cameo that he swung the game away from Bolton back in September at Portman Road, and after that his fortunes have gradually improved.
Now with eight goals under his belt and the Ipswich fans singing his name, the in-form youngster is fulfilling the promise which tempted Parkinson to offer him a deal.
“Some you win, some you lose,” said Parkinson, with a rather rueful grin. “We met him and he was going to come to us because the location suited him but at the time, the situation we were in, we couldn’t get the deal over the line and Ipswich took him.
“He’s a good lad and Tim (Breacker) watched him a lot at FC Twente on loan the previous season. We liked him a lot but purely with the financial situation we were in, we couldn’t meet the money City were asking for according to how many games he played.
“He’s a good professional and he’s had a good season. But I can’t really afford to dwell on what I haven’t got.”
It quoted ad infinitum by opposing managers that they ‘know what to expect’ from a Mick McCarthy side, yet Celina has added an air of unpredictability to a hard-working Ipswich team still casting desiring glances towards the play-off positions.
Parkinson remembers only too well what a positive effect Celina had on Town earlier this season and is hoping some of his own substitutes can take a page from his book.
“It’s very important when you are coming off the bench – and it’s something I have spoken about to a few of our lads,” he said. “We have got to do better when we make subs; they have got to have more of an impact.
“There are huge physical demands on players so when you get those fresh legs, they need to count.
“It’s OK being disappointed you are not in the team but they have to be ready to make an impact when called upon.”
Wanderers begin the day tomorrow 14 points and 11 places below Ipswich in the Championship table and looking to regain some traction after last weekend’s stumble at Brentford.
Parkinson felt his side were worth more than the 2-0 defeat they received at Portman Road but has warned his players they will have to graft for 90 minutes to gain a result.
“Ipswich had a good win at the weekend against Leeds, and we know we’ve got to be ready to work really hard against Mick’s teams because he puts big demands on his players. He doesn’t carry anyone who isn’t prepared to roll their sleeves up and work hard.
“Down at their place we were unlucky not to get something, I think, but our home form has been good and I think it will be a fiercely competitive game, as most tend to be.”
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The Manchester City winger was seemingly embroiled in a summer fling with Wanderers back in June, openly admitting his eagerness to sign for the club on loan.
“I think it would be a good club for me,” said the Kosovan, days after peppering Instagram with a series of pictures from his tour around the Macron. “It is a club that deserves to be in the Championship or Premier League.”
A few weeks later Celina had moved on to his next suitor, Mick McCarthy’s Ipswich Town, with Wanderers apparently unable to agree terms with his parent club over appearance fees.
Celina will be in town again tomorrow looking to show Phil Parkinson what he is missing out on, and the midfielder chose to spice up the occasion by claiming it had been his decision to make the move to Suffolk.
“There was a choice, Ipswich or Bolton, and I chose to move to Ipswich,” he said this week.
“It was definitely a good choice for me and I’m really enjoying my football here. Hopefully I can go and score against Bolton as well.”
It is fair to say Celina took time to endear himself to McCarthy – not renowned as one of football’s romantics – and much to the Town fans’ chagrin, he spent much of the first few months of the season consigned to the bench.
It was with a bright second-half cameo that he swung the game away from Bolton back in September at Portman Road, and after that his fortunes have gradually improved.
Now with eight goals under his belt and the Ipswich fans singing his name, the in-form youngster is fulfilling the promise which tempted Parkinson to offer him a deal.
“Some you win, some you lose,” said Parkinson, with a rather rueful grin. “We met him and he was going to come to us because the location suited him but at the time, the situation we were in, we couldn’t get the deal over the line and Ipswich took him.
“He’s a good lad and Tim (Breacker) watched him a lot at FC Twente on loan the previous season. We liked him a lot but purely with the financial situation we were in, we couldn’t meet the money City were asking for according to how many games he played.
“He’s a good professional and he’s had a good season. But I can’t really afford to dwell on what I haven’t got.”
It quoted ad infinitum by opposing managers that they ‘know what to expect’ from a Mick McCarthy side, yet Celina has added an air of unpredictability to a hard-working Ipswich team still casting desiring glances towards the play-off positions.
Parkinson remembers only too well what a positive effect Celina had on Town earlier this season and is hoping some of his own substitutes can take a page from his book.
“It’s very important when you are coming off the bench – and it’s something I have spoken about to a few of our lads,” he said. “We have got to do better when we make subs; they have got to have more of an impact.
“There are huge physical demands on players so when you get those fresh legs, they need to count.
“It’s OK being disappointed you are not in the team but they have to be ready to make an impact when called upon.”
Wanderers begin the day tomorrow 14 points and 11 places below Ipswich in the Championship table and looking to regain some traction after last weekend’s stumble at Brentford.
Parkinson felt his side were worth more than the 2-0 defeat they received at Portman Road but has warned his players they will have to graft for 90 minutes to gain a result.
“Ipswich had a good win at the weekend against Leeds, and we know we’ve got to be ready to work really hard against Mick’s teams because he puts big demands on his players. He doesn’t carry anyone who isn’t prepared to roll their sleeves up and work hard.
“Down at their place we were unlucky not to get something, I think, but our home form has been good and I think it will be a fiercely competitive game, as most tend to be.”
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